---

This book presents the first computer program automating the task of componential analysis of kinship vocabularies. The book examines the program in relation to two basic problems: the commonly occurring inconsistency of componential models; and the huge number of alternative componential models.

---

Contents List of Tables Preface 1. Introduction: the Historical Background 2. Problems of Componential Analysis 3. The KINSHIP System 4. Componential Analyses of Selected Languages 5. Conclusion

---

Vladimir Pericliev is a Professor at the Institute for Mathematics and Informatics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria. His research interests include general linguistics, computational linguistics and Artificial Intelligence (specifically, machine scientific discovery). He has written three monographs and over 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

---