Linguistic Anthropology Seminar: Spring 2006

Mark Sicoli

"From phonology to metapragmatics: Tone, voice, and tone of voice in a Zapotec region."

David Golumbia

"Minimalism; or, Noam Chomsky vs Generative Grammar."

Note: Special Meeting Time: 12:00 -- 2:00 pm.

Abstract (.doc, 24KB)
Handout (.doc, 84KB)

Suggested Reading

Chomsky, Noam. 2005. "Three Factors in Language Design." (.pdf, 118KB) Linguistic Inquiry 36(1):1-22

Peter Hook

"Areal Distribution and Semantic Evolution of EAT in the Languages of Asia."

Handout (.doc, 31KB)

Suggested Readings

Masica, Colin P. 1976. “Introduction.” (.pdf, 1.7MB) IN: Defining a Linguistic Area: South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Pp. 1-12)

Hook, Peter E. 1987. “Linguistic Areas: Getting at the Grain of History.” (.pdf, 822KB) IN: George Cardona and Norman H. Zide (eds.), Festschrift for Henry Hoenigswald: on the occasion of his seventieth birthday. Tuebingen: G. Narr.

Tomas Samek (Public University, Czech Republic)

"What is Wrong With Us? A contribution to a political and linguistic ethnography of Czech public space."

Note: Special Meeting Time: 10:00 am -- 12:00 pm.

Elana Shohamy (Linguistics, U. of Tel Aviv & Georgetown U.)

"At what cost? Methods of reviving, maintaining and sustaining endangered and minority languages."

Abstract

The paper will challenge the terms 'endangered', 'minority', and 'varieties' in the context of politics, ideology, education and place. Examination of the methods and mechanisms used to revive, maintain and sustain languages - using the case of Hebrew in Israel as an example - will demonstrate the high cost of these efforts in terms of rights, participation, representation and inclusion.

Suggested Reading

Ben-Rafael, E., et al. 2006. “Linguistic Landscape as Symbolic Construction of the Public Space: The Case of Israel.” (.pdf, 3.8MB) International Journal of Multilingualism 3(1): 7-30.

Sophie Rosenfeld (U.Va. Department of History)

"On Language planning as a means of structural censorship in post-Revolution France."

Note: Special Meeting Time: 10:00 am -- 12:00 pm.

Suggested Reading

Sophia Rosenfeld, "Writing the History of Censorship in the Age of the Enlightenment," (.pdf, 2.0MB) in Postmodernism and the Enlightenment: New Perspectives in Eighteenth-Century French Intellectual History, ed. Daniel Gordon (Routledge, 2001), 117-145.

NOTE: For this seminar we are distributing the presenter's essay in advance so that our meeting can be an informed discussion of the subject.