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Typology and Language Description

Vak
2009-2010

In this course, students learn about:

  • Typological generalizations regarding phonology, morphology, lexical structure and syntax.

  • How these generalizations relate to descriptive language data of Austronesian (and Papuan) languages spoken in Indonesia

  • How typology can be used in descriptive work in general. Students practice the following skills:

  • To read linguistic work critically,

  • To present their own research in class,

  • To write a short research report.

Teaching method

Lectures and oral presentations of readings/research topics by students

Admission requirements

BA/MA in linguistics / a language

Required readings

To be announced when the course starts. Will be available on Blackboard or in hard copy.

Test method

  • Oral presentation of readings and/or own research topic in class (50%)

  • Final paper / Research report (50%)

Registration

U-Twist

Blackboard

Yes

Time table 2009-2010 (preliminary)

  • 1, INTRODUCTION
    Mutual interaction of typology and description
    Aims in language typology and in language description TBA through Blackboard

  • Class 2 & 3, PHONOLOGY
    Differences & similarities between Common and rare segments
    What does this suggest about the phonological structure of language?
    Explanations for development of phonologies
    Vowel systems, Consonant systems, System gaps
    Common and rare phonological/ phonetic processes

  • Class 4, STUDENT’S PRESENTATIONS
    PHONOLOGY

  • Class 5 & 6, MORPHOLOGY
    What is a word? Units smaller than words Morphological processes: data, problems, explanations (Prefixing, suffixing preference, Stem modification, Autosegmental variation, Compounding, Reduplication)
    Rare morphological processes
    Structural assymetries in morphological typology

  • Class 7, STUDENT’S PRESENTATIONS
    MORPHOLOGY

  • Class 8 & 9, LEXICON
    The mental lexicon. Word classes: forms and functions. How to establish word classes
    Ideophones, sound symbolic words, epithets, taboo words. Kambera ideophones. Dutch epithet compounds.
    The semantics and shapes of expressives
    How arbitrary is the linguistic sign?

  • Class 10, STUDENT’S PRESENTATIONS WORD CLASSES OR IDEOPHONES/SOUND SYMBOLIC FORMS
    (cf. Voeltz & Kilian-Hatz (eds.))

  • Class 11 & 12, SYNTAX
    Conceptions of grammatical relations, notions of ‘subjecthood’ ; The major functions of the noun phrase ; Clause types
    Valency-changing mechanisms

  • Class 13, STUDENT’S PRESENTATIONS SYNTAX
    Summary, winding up