Multiple construction types for nominal expressions in Australian languages: towards a typology

This paper explores the rich diversity in structural possibilities that are available for (simple) nominal expressions in Australian languages. In a first step, I identify a number of construction types found across a 50 language sample. I argue that these may be recognised by using a restricted set of parameters, some of which are well‐known, such as internal word order, and others which have received less attention. In particular, I show that an important factor is whether a given parameter (such as word order) is generalised or displayed only by some word classes. In a next step, I develop a four‐way typology based on how the construction types cluster in individual languages. Two of the types are described to some extent in the literature: one mostly has flexible, non‐phrasal expressions and the other mostly rigid noun phrases. While these types are not new, I provide a more detailed characterisation, describing which other constructions they typically have available beyond the ‘default’ structure. The other two types have not been described as such. One mostly has flexible phrases, which combine word order flexibility with phrasal case marking, and the other has a range of distinct construction types depending on the type of modifier.