§03§ §12§ §16§The problem of lexical categories and root class determination is fundamental in linguistic description and theory. Research on this topic has been particularly stimulated by studies of Amerindian languages. The essays in this collection, written by specialists in languages from South, Middle and North America, provide new insights into processes, levels, functions, and the aquisition of lexical categories, from various recent theoretical perspectives. The volume also addresses recent debates about root indeterminacy. Focusing on morphosyntax, phonology, and semantics, the contributions offer invaluable material for typological generalizations and for comprehension of the nature of the mental lexicon. §02§The Editors: Ximena Lois has a Ph.D. in linguistics and is an associate researcher at the Institut Jean Nicod, Paris, France. Her current fields of research include theoretical and Mayan linguistics, ethnolinguistics and cognitive linguistics. Special interests cover lexicon-syntax mapping, the interface between syntax and semantics, and the linguistic expression of emotions, possession, and causality. Valentina Vapnarsky has a Ph.D. in anthropology and is a researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France. Her current fields of research include Mayan linguistics, pragmatics, linguistic and cognitive anthropology. Special interests cover discourse grammar and verbal interaction, syntax, the expression and conception of time, causality, and agency.
