Typology and the Study of Language: Comparative Grammar and Beyond

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal is for enhancements to the 2008 biennial meeting of the Association for Linguistic Typology, to be held on the UC Berkeley campus in summer 2008 during the Linguistic Society of America's biennial Linguistic Institute. Typology is the branch of linguistics engaged in comparative grammar, surveying the types of grammatical phenomena to be found in the world's languages, classifying the world's languages, and providing the systematic descriptive framework for documenting endangered languages and mapping all linguistic phenomena. Formal grammar is engaged in working out a theory of what is possible and impossible, necessary, optional, etc. in human language, with implications for how language arose and developed, how language is related to cognition, and what are universals of human language. Despite many clear common interests, typologists and formal grammarians have had relatively little interaction. The intellectual merit and transformative potential of this proposal is its explicit intention to bring typologists and formal grammarians together around the discussion of concrete questions and themes. Two leading formal grammarians with cross-linguistic and typological interests and one leading typologist with theoretical and statistical interests will give plenary lectures. Heavily discounted conference registration fees will be offered to student Institute participants, which will familiarize the younger generation of linguists with cutting-edge typology. Conference topical themes will emphasize phenomena and concerns common to field and documentary workers, typologists, and formal linguists (e.g. theoretically, typologically, and geographically interesting aspects of the morphologically complex verbs of languages of western North America, and other areas on which major typologists and formal grammarians have worked). The conference will shape the future development of both fields by drawing the large audience of graduate students attending the Institute into debates on and presentation of leading work in typology and cross-linguistic formal grammar coming fom all parts of the world. The meeting will include significant outreach to underrepresented countries and groups in typology and will provide opportunities for U.S. students and young scholars to interact with leading national and international typologists and to present typological and field-based papers. ALT serves its junior members extremely well, and students at the Institute will see this in action.