Published by Akademie Verlag

Studia Typologica [STTYP]

Beihefte / Supplements STUF - Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung / Language Typology and Universals

Edited by: Thomas Stolz, Francois Jacquesson and Pieter C. Muysken

ISSN: 1617-2957

e-ISSN 2199-272X

Overview
Volumes

Studia Typologica is the companion series of the journal Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung/Language Typology and Universals (STUF). Studia Typologica publishes scholarly studies of high quality dedicated to promising new topics in the realm of general-comparative linguistics. The series especially welcomes contributions which argue on a solid empirical foundation, have a cross-linguistic orientation and raise new issues which are addressed in innovative ways. The series encourages work on understudied languages and understudied phenomena. Studia Typologica is also interested in areal-typological studies and research on the interface of language contact and language typology. The series is meant as a forum for typologically minded investigations independent of the school of thought the authors adhere to. Monographs as well as collections of articles (sharing a common theme) are published in this series. All manuscripts are peer-reviewed (double blind). The language of publication is English.

Topics

Book Ahead of Publication 2023

Number Categories

Dynamics, Contact, Typology

Deborah Arbes

Volume 32 in this series

More Cite

The book examines the category Number from a variety of linguistic perspectives. Typological aspects of co-plurals and singulatives are introduced and number marking is analysed for three individual languages: Kamas (Samoyedic), Welsh (Celtic) and Wagi (Beria, Saharan). For each language, the focus lies on a different aspect of number marking: In the Wagi dialect of Beria, different tonal patterns are discovered. The extinct Kamas language is analysed in terms of language contact with Russian. Number categories can also serve as a measure of loanword integration, as the study about spoken Welsh shows. The combination of articles in this volume illustrates the potential of number marking and offers insights that contribute our understanding of how grammatical number is applied and categorised in languages.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.0000/9783110986600
ISBN:: 9783110986600
ISBN:: 9783110997873
ISBN:: 9783110986624
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2022

Word Order Variation

Semitic, Turkic and Indo-European Languages in Contact

Hiwa Asadpour, Thomas Jügel

Volume 31 in this series

More Cite

In the Iranic-Semitic-Turkic contact area, where many languages are described as verb-final, ‘Targets’ (Goals, Recipients, etc.) tend to appear in the immediate postverbal position, a pattern violating the alleged ‘basic word order’.

Investigating empirical material, the present volume examines the idea of its contact-induced origin by combining various languages from inside and outside this contact area: the Greek variety Romeyka; Indic Domari; Iranic Balochi, Kurdish, Middle Persian, Parthian, Bactrian and Sogdian; Nilotic Maa; Semitic Arabic and Aramaic; Siberian and Iran-Turkic. The contributors investigate word order variation of transitive, ditransitive, and copula structures as well as intransitives with Targets. Their analyses highlight the relevance of grammatical, discourse-pragmatic, and cognitive principles. The volume highlights the importance of Target structures for linguistic theory by offering new perspectives and will be of interest to typologists and linguists interested in word order variation and information structure.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110790368
ISBN:: 9783110790368
ISBN:: 9783110790214
ISBN:: 9783110790535
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2022

Maltese

Contemporary Changes and Historical Innovations

Przemyslaw Turek, Julia Nintemann

Volume 30 in this series

More Cite

This volume features nine articles, covering various aspects of Maltese linguistics:
Part I, mostly dedicated to the Maltese lexicon, opens with Bednarowicz’s comparison of Maltese and Arabic adjectives. Fabri then categorizes various types of constructions involving the preposition ta’ ‘of’. The paper by Lucas and Spagnol discusses Maltese words containing an innovative final /n/.
Part II deals with the syntax of Maltese: Azzopardi’s paper focuses on a construction in Maltese which consists of a sequence of two or more finite verbs. Just and Čéplö present the first corpus based study of differential object indexing in Maltese.
In Part III on morphosyntax, Turek analyzes Arabic prepositions in Classical/Modern Standard Arabic and Arabic dialects and contrasts them with their Maltese equivalents. Stolz and Vorholt then analyze the structural and functional similarities and differences of spatial interrogatives in Maltese and Spanish. Vorholt then investigates the adpositions of sixteen European languages including Maltese and examines the relationship between length and frequency.
The volume is closed with Part IV on phonology and Avram’s paper, in which the diachrony of voicing assimilation in consonant clusters is reconstructed.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110783834
ISBN:: 9783110783834
ISBN:: 9783110783766
ISBN:: 9783110783872
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Contrastive Linguistics
Subject:: Historical Linguistics
Subject:: Lexicology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2022

Proper Names versus Common Nouns

Morphosyntactic Contrasts in the Languages of the World

Javier Caro Reina, Johannes Helmbrecht

Volume 29 in this series

More Cite

Recent research has shown that proper names morphosyntactically differ from common nouns in many ways. However, little is known about the morphological and syntactic/distributional differences between proper names and common nouns in less known (Non)-Indo-European languages. This volume brings together contributions which explore morphosyntactic phenomena such as case marking, gender assignment rules, definiteness marking, and possessive constructions from a synchronic, diachronic, and typological perspective. The languages surveyed include Austronesian languages, Basque, English, German, Hebrew, and Romance languages. The volume contributes to a better understanding not only of the contrasts between proper names and common nouns, but also of formal contrasts between different proper name classes such as personal names, place names, and others.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110672626
ISBN:: 9783110672626
ISBN:: 9783110672473
ISBN:: 9783110672749
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2021

Grammaticalization and Variation

The Case of Mayan Motion Verbs

Nicole Hober

Volume 28 in this series

More Cite

Grammaticalization research looks back on a rich history, but recent empirical findings, as well as new insights from cognitive science and psycholinguistics, entice researchers to reassess and review what we know about the process. This book presents a detailed study of the grammaticalization of motion verbs in the Mayan languages. The focus lies on variation in the parallel grammaticalization of motion verbs into auxiliaries and directionals. It is demonstrated that the genetically related and areally close languages do not always grammaticalize source items in the same way - both from a formal and meaning perspective. The empirical findings suggest that traditional theories on grammaticalization do not capture the complex nature of the phenomenon entirely. Therefore, a Network Approach to grammaticalization is introduced which emphasizes a 'meaning-first' account. The approach seeks to combine the conceptual with the discourse-pragmatic while being firmly grounded in cognitive and psychological facts. New insights into the grammaticalization behavior of the world's languages are offered, while well-established notions and assumptions within the grammaticalization research paradigm are reviewed and challenged.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110728613
ISBN:: 9783110728613
ISBN:: 9783110728507
ISBN:: 9783110728682
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2022

Evidential Marking in European Languages

Toward a Unitary Comparative Account

Björn Wiemer, Juana I. Marin-Arrese

Volume 27 in this series

More Cite

How are evidential functions distinguished by means other than grammatical paradigms, i.e. by function words and other lexical units? And how inventories of such means can be compared across languages (against an account also of grammatical means used to mark information source)? This book presents an attempt at supplying a comparative survey of such inventories by giving detailed “evidential profiles” for a large part of European languages: Continental Germanic, English, French, Basque, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, Modern Greek, and Ibero-Romance languages, such as Catalán, Galician, Portuguese and Spanish. Each language is treated in a separate chapter, and their profiles are based on a largely unified set of concepts based on function and/or etymological provenance. The profiles are preceded by a chapter which clarifies the theoretical premises and methodological background for the format followed in the profiles. The concluding chapter presents a synthesis of findings from these profiles, including areal biases and the formulation of methodological problems that call for further research.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110726077
ISBN:: 9783110726077
ISBN:: 9783110726015
ISBN:: 9783110726114
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2020

Here – Hither – Hence and Related Categories

A Cross-linguistic Study

Julia Nintemann, Maja Robbers, Nicole Hober

Volume 26 in this series

More Cite

As a follow-up study to the global comparison of spatial interrogatives (Studia Typologica 20), the present book examines the spatial declarative counterparts which are provided by the expression class of spatial deictic adverbs. In a functionally motivated typological approach, equivalents of Early Modern English here – hither – hence and there – thither – thence are identified across a sample of 250 languages from all macro-areas. These are also quantitatively assessed to extrapolate areal and global trends of coding patterns. The formal relationships between spatial interrogative and spatial declarative paradigms are analyzed with a focus on the syncretism of categories and of individual cells. Qualitative discussions of patterns precede in-depth treatments of problematic cases and other relevant issues related to the research topic.
The quantitative results strongly point to areal linguistic trends concerning the distribution of distinct and non-distinct coding of the three spatial relations Place, Goal, and Source. Additional aspects such as quantitative evaluations of constructional complexity are addressed subsequently.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110672640
ISBN:: 9783110672640
ISBN:: 9783110672442
ISBN:: 9783110672725
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2021

Areal Linguistics within the Phonological Atlas of Europe

Loan Phonemes and their Distribution

Thomas Stolz, Nataliya Levkovych, Beke Seefried

Volume 25 in this series

More Cite

In contrast to many other levels of language, there is as yet no comprehensive areal-linguistic description of the segmental phonological properties of the languages of Europe.
To complement the synchronic picture of the languages of Europe, it is time to take stock of their phoneme inventories to provide an empirical basis for generalizations about the similarities and dissimilarities of the languages of Europe. The best way to visualize the areal phonology of Europe is that of the Phonological Atlas of Europe (Phon@Europe) which features the isoglosses of phonological phenomena on a plethora of maps. As a prequel to Phon@Europe, this study not only outlines the goals, methodology, sample, and theory of the project but also focuses on loan phonemes whose diffusion across the 210 doculects of the sample yields meaningful patterns. The patterns are indicative of recent processes of convergence which have transformed a diverse phonological mosaic into a superficially homogeneous linguistic area. The developments which have led to the present situation are traced back through the history of the sample languages.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110672602
ISBN:: 9783110672602
ISBN:: 9783110672435
ISBN:: 9783110672732
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Levels of Linguistic Analysis
Subject:: Phonology
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2020

Maltese Linguistics on the Danube

Slavomír Čéplö, Jaroslav Drobný

Volume 24 in this series

More Cite

This volume brings together a dozen papers on various aspects of Maltese, relevant also for the study of related languages and general descriptive and typological linguistics.
The diachronic section begins with an analysis of the place of Maltese in its North African context (Souag). Avram and van Putten then provide analyses of the development of Maltese phonological inventory, the former discussing obstruent devoicing, the latter tracing the evolution of Maltese short vowels. Sumikazu examines a type of circumstantial clause in Maltese and the section concludes with a description of a digital etymological lexicon of Maltese (Gatt).
Turning to syntax, Borg and Amaira analyze agreement mismatch in a number of syntactic constructions, Fabri discusses argument extension and Čéplö and Lucas examine the role of the focus particle lanqas in Maltese negation. Stolz and Levkovych provide a thorough analysis of the syntax and semantics of Maltese prepositions, while Schmidt, Vorholt and Witt offer a quantitative study of their distribution and use.
Closing out the volume, Alexander examines in detail the phonetics of Maltese affricated stops, while Ellul and Galea analyze the epenthetic vowel alternation in the Maltese definite article.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110672268
ISBN:: 9783110672268
ISBN:: 9783110672374
ISBN:: 9783110672176
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Other Languages of Europe
Subject:: European Languages, other
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2018

Grammatical Gender in Maltese

George Farrugia

Volume 23 in this series

More Cite

Is grammatical gender merely stored as a syntactic property of nouns, or is it computed according to a noun’s semantic, morphological and phonological properties every time it is required?
In many languages, gender appears to resist systematic treatment and can even cause problems for non-native learners. Native speakers of these languages appear to have no difficulty in assigning the correct grammatical gender to thousands of nouns in their language. Being an offshoot of Arabic, Maltese inherited a system comprising two gender categories, masculine and feminine. Numerous nouns were introduced in Maltese through contact with Sicilian and subsequently with Italian, two languages that also have a masculine/feminine-based gender system. However, the more recent contact, with English, seems to have complicated matters.
This work investigates how grammatical gender functions in Maltese, how native speakers apply different criteria to classify nouns, and how this choice is reflected in syntactic agreement. It also takes into consideration the wider psycholinguistic context that influences the choice of category, and provides valuable data for theories that seek to explain the linguistic categorization of nouns in various languages.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110612400
ISBN:: 9783110612400
ISBN:: 9783110603941
ISBN:: 9783110609721
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Language Contact
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2018

Non-Prototypical Reduplication

Aina Urdze

Volume 22 in this series

More Cite

As “reduplication” is a continuously discussed topic in the field of linguistic typology and morphology there is still the need to reach a deeper understanding of reduplicative processes. This volume aims to explore the boundaries of reduplication proper from an outside angle, i.e. by looking into non-prototypical cases which challenge the formal and functional criteria for reduplication proper. The articles selected cover various linguistic areals from Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. Abbi explores echo formations and reduplicative expressives in Southeast Asia. Anderson presents an in-depth study on various reduplication phenomena in the Munda language family. Nintemann addresses a formal problem of reduplication proper in Bantu languages. Finkbeiner discusses a case of triplication in German, contrasting it with the framework of reduplication. Kallergi & Konstantinidou provide an detailed insight into several kinds of echo formations in Modern Greek, including diachronic aspects. Rozhanskiy’s focus is on unexpected reduplicative patterns found in the formation of Komi ideophones. Stolz delivers a thorough crosslinguistic investigation on reduplicative phenomena, favouring the canonical approach over the prototype method.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110599329
ISBN:: 9783110599329
ISBN:: 9783110597004
ISBN:: 9783110597134
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2017

Advances in Maltese Linguistics

Benjamin Saade, Mauro Tosco

Volume 21 in this series

More Cite

This volume is a collection of up-to-date articles on Maltese on all linguistic levels, demonstrating the variety of topics Maltese has to offer for linguists of all specializations.

Two diachronic studies discuss the early contact of Maltese and Sicilian Arabic (Avram) and the possible lexical influence of Occitan-Catalan on Maltese in the 13th-15th century (Biosca & Castellanos).
Fabri & Borg shed light on the rules that govern verb sequences in Maltese. Čéplö presents a corpus analysis of the syntactic and semantic properties of focus constructions in Maltese. Stolz & Ahrens analyze the behavior of prepositional phrases with identical heads under coordination.

Wilmsen & Al-Sayyed study the use of muš as a negator in Maltese and beyond. Puech presents a detailed phonological analysis of Maltese and Tunisian Arabic based on prosody, syllabic structure, and stress. Azzopardi-Alexander gives a fine-grained analysis of phonological features in Maltese English, placing speakers on a Maltese-English continuum. Sciriha takes a visual approach to multilingualism in Malta with her quantitative study of public and private signs.

Finally, Versteegh offers a thought-provoking perspective on the notion "mixed language" and its viability.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110565744
ISBN:: 9783110565744
ISBN:: 9783110562972
ISBN:: 9783110563115
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Language Contact
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2017

Spatial Interrogatives in Europe and Beyond

Where, Whither, Whence

Thomas Stolz, Nataliya Levkovych, Aina Urdze, Julia Nintemann, Maja Robbers

Volume 20 in this series

More Cite

The extant generalizations about the grammar of space rely heavily on the analyses of declarative sentences. There is a need to check whether these generalizations also hold in the domain of interrogation. To this end this book analyzes data from some 450 languages (including non-standard varieties). The focus is on paradigms of spatial interrogatives such as English where, whither and whence and their internal organization. These paradigms are checked for recurrent patterns of morphological mismatches (such as syncretism) and different degrees of complexity (e.g. the number of segments). The data-base consists of a large parallel literary corpus (Le petit prince and translations thereof) which is complemented by further sources of information such as descriptive grammars. The data are analyzed from a synchronic perspective. However, diachronic issues are addressed unsystematically, too. It is shown that the distribution of phenomena which characterize paradigms of spatial interrogatives are subject to areal-linguistic factors. This is the first typological study of spatial interrogatives. It provides new insights for students of the grammar of space, morphological paradigms, and language typology.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110539516
ISBN:: 9783110539516
ISBN:: 9783110532753
ISBN:: 9783110538335
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2016

Shifts and Patterns in Maltese

Gilbert Puech, Benjamin Saade

Volume 19 in this series

More Cite

The linguistic description of Maltese has experienced an invigorating renaissance in the last ten years. As an Arabic language with a heavily mixed lexicon, Maltese serves as a laboratory for questions of linguistic variation on all linguistics levels, bilingualism, and language contact.

This present volume showcases the variety of up-to-date linguistic research on Maltese. Starting with a tribute to the late David Cohen, influential French Semiticist, the remainder of the book is divided into three parts: Phonology, Morphology & Syntax, and Contact, Bilingualism & Technology.

The papers in the phonology section comprise a minimalist representation of Maltese sounds from Gilbert Puech, a detailed account of phonological changes in Maltese based on onomastic data by Andrei Avram, and the description of lengthening as a discourse strategy by Alexandra Vella et. al.

The section on morphology and syntax includes both synchronic and diachronic approaches to variation in Maltese. Maris Camilleri provides a detailed formal account of the paradigm in Maltese verbal inflection using a multidimensional model which accounts for subcategorization frame variation. Döhla's contribution traces the development of Differential Object Marking (DOM) in Maltese and draws parallels between similar phenomena in other varieties of Arabic. Wilmsen provides a detailed history of the polar interrogative marker –š in Maltese. The article by Stolz & Saade investigates the variation between long and short independent pronouns in Maltese taking into account phonological factors, text-type, and grammatical person. Lucas & Spagnol tackle the variation of Maltese numerals with respect to phonological and morphological criteria in their study of the connecting /t/.

The section on Contact, Bilingualism & Technology starts with Farrugia's description of variation in the assignment of gender for loanwords in Maltese. Comrie & Spagnol place the make-up of the borrowed part of the Maltese lexicon in a wider typology of loanwords in the world's languages. The study by Azzopardi-Alexander gives detailed insights into bilingual practices in Malta, placing usage patterns on a continuum between single language use and different code-switching and code-mixing practices. In the final paper, John Camilleri shows how the computational modelling of Maltese grammar has both theoretical and practical repercussions for the study and teaching of Maltese.

As can be gathered from the wide variety of topics presented in this volume, Maltese Linguistics has developed from a subdiscipline of Arabic linguistics to a full academic subject in its own right. This volume presents an ideal introduction to the wide range of linguistic topics Maltese has to offer.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110496376
ISBN:: 9783110496376
ISBN:: 9783110495638
ISBN:: 9783110493009
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Language Contact
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2015

The Expression of Predicative Possession

A Comparative Study of Belarusian and Lithuanian

Lidia Federica Mazzitelli

Volume 18 in this series

More Cite

This book discusses the constructions used in Belarusian and Lithuanian to express predicative Possession. The work is written within a typological frame: the Belarusian and Lithuanian constructions are analyzed in the light of the typology of the possessive predicative constructions proposed by Heine (1997).

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110412321
ISBN:: 978-3-11-041228-4
ISBN:: 978-3-11-041232-1
ISBN:: 9783110412352
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Levels of Linguistic Analysis
Subject:: Semantics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2015

Reduplication at the Word Level

The Greek Facts in Typological Perspective

Haritini Kallergi

Volume 17 in this series

More Cite

Contrary to earlier approaches, this study suggests that Modern Greek (MG) is a language that exhibits reduplication, in the form of Total Reduplication (TR). The analysis addresses the morphosyntactic, phonological, semantic and pragmatic aspects of the types of TR in MG, and the constraints and/or preferences of speakers concerning their use. The typology of TR focuses on four cross-linguistically common meanings/functions, identified as the intensive, the contrastive, the distributive and the iterative. Part of the analysis of these functional types is based on data that come from two experiments with native speakers; the one confirms or refines earlier assumptions on to the relation of the above meanings/functions with word classes and semantic features of words; the other clarifies the idea of prosodic unity in TR and sheds light into various aspects of the relation of intonation with the interpretation of TR constructions.
Also, the formal and lexical constraints on the use of TR are discussed with respect to the status of TR (particularly, the "grammatical"-"lexical" opposition). In general, TR seems to be a borderline case between grammar and the lexicon and a heterogeneous category, in that it involves grammatical, pragmatic and lexical construction types. However, the constructions in question meet highly specific criteria for their status as TR types and the process is productive and considerably regularized (rule-governed) in MG. In this sense, TR should not be merely taken as a strategy for "emphasis", but should be systematically represented in grammar textbooks.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110365597
ISBN:: 978-3-11-036958-8
ISBN:: 978-3-11-036559-7
ISBN:: 9783110393095
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Levels of Linguistic Analysis
Subject:: Morphology
Subject:: Syntax
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2014

Types of Reduplication

A Case Study of Bikol

Veronika Mattes

Volume 16 in this series

More Cite

The book systematically discusses the formal and functional properties as well as the rules of the manifold productive reduplication types of Bikol, an Austronesian language of the Philippines. Based on the author's own fieldwork, this case study demonstrates the highly complex and grammaticized status of reduplication. In addition, the formal and semantic properties of unproductive reduplicative forms of the language are also investigated.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110363128
ISBN:: 978-3-11-036297-8
ISBN:: 978-3-11-036312-8
ISBN:: 9783110393125
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Levels of Linguistic Analysis
Subject:: Semantics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: De Gruyter Mouton

Book 2014

The Crosslinguistics of Zero-Marking of Spatial Relations

Thomas Stolz, Sander Lestrade, Christel Stolz

Volume 15 in this series

More Cite

On the basis of a world-wide convenience sample of 116 languages, the distribution of zero-marking of spatial relations over the languages of the world is shown to largely escape any genetically, areally and/or typologically based constraints. The main goal of this book is to firmly establish the cross-linguistic occurrence of the zero-marking of spatial relations and to provide a framework for its study in terms of economy and predictability.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050065304
ISBN:: 978-3-05-006276-1
ISBN:: 978-3-05-006530-4
ISBN:: 9783055016509
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Levels of Linguistic Analysis
Subject:: Semantics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistic Typology
Publisher:: De Gruyter (A)

Book 2013

Perspectives on Maltese Linguistics

Albert Borg, Sandro Caruana, Alexandra Vella

Volume 14 in this series

More Cite

The contributions included in this collection present different perspectives on various aspects of Maltese Linguistics, thereby enriching a field which has been attracting considerably greater interest in recent years than was the case in the past. The papers focus on the Maltese language itself as well as on Maltese in relation to other languages. They provide a picture of Maltese mainly from a synchronic perspective, descriptions ranging from indepth analyses of morphological and syntactic features to contributions on the lexicon, corpus linguistics and sociolinguistics. A number of papers dealing with diachronic considerations are also included. The topics dealt with in this volume show not only that Maltese is the object of research from a variety of perspectives but also that scholars with diverse backgrounds and of different nationalities are studying this language, thus providing an enriching body of knowl-edge, including findings of interest to general linguistics and various other fields in the humanities. Der vorliegende Band enthält Beiträge mit vielfältigen Herangehensweisen zu unterschiedlichen Aspekten der maltesischen Sprachwissenschaft und erweitert dadurch den Blick auf eine Disziplin, die in den letzten Jahren deutlich mehr Interesse findet als das in der Vergangenheit der Fall war. Der Fokus wird in den einzelnen Beiträgen sowohl auf die maltesische Sprache an sich als auch auf den Sprachkontakt von Maltesisch mit anderen Sprachen gerichtet. Neben synchronen Untersuchungen, die morphologische und syntaktische Eigenschaften sowie lexikalische, korpus- und soziolinguistische Aspekte von Maltesisch eingehend beleuchten, finden sich Analysen mit vorwiegend diachroner Blickrichtung. Die thematische Vielfalt des vorliegenden Bandes, die aus den unterschiedlichen He-rangehensweisen der beteiligten Wissenschaftler unterschiedlicher Nationalität und mit unterschiedlichem Forschungshintergrund resultiert, erweitert nicht nur den Wissensbestand der maltesischen Linguistik, sondern kann auch bereichernde Erkenntnisse für die Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft sowie für andere Zweige der Geisteswissenschaften liefern.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050065144
ISBN:: 978-3-05-006275-4
ISBN:: 978-3-05-006514-4
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2013

Competing Comparative Constructions in Europe

Thomas Stolz

Volume 13 in this series

More Cite

This in-depth areal-typological study analyzes the grammatical means which are employed in the languages of Europe to express the comparative of inequality/superiority. The extant theories and hypotheses about the morphosyntactic structure and the cross-linguistic distribution of construction types are reviewed. The behavior of comparatives under the conditions of language contact is discussed. Data from more than 170 standard and nonstandard varieties of European languages are scrutinized systematically. The synchronic picture is complemented by a chapter on the diachrony of comparative constructions. The European facts are compared to those of the geographically adjacent Asian and African regions. It is argued that cross-linguistic investigations must take account also of so-called secondary options. These secondary options suggest strongly that the supposedly dominant role of the particle comparative cannot be upheld for Europe. Moreover, only the secondary options allow us to draw isoglosses which cross the borders between Europe and Asia (and Africa).

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050064994
ISBN:: 978-3-05-006314-0
ISBN:: 978-3-05-006499-4
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2012

Monosyllables

From Phonology to Typology

Thomas Stolz, Nicole Nau, Cornelia Stroh

Volume 12 in this series

More Cite

Dieser Band versammelt zehn Aufsätze, in denen Monosyllaba in verschiedenen Sprachen Asiens, Afrikas und Europas aus unterschiedlichsten Perspektiven betrachtet werden. Einsilber sind in fast allen Sprachen der Welt vertreten. Sprachen wie das Chinesische bevorzugen bekanntermaßen diesen Silbentyp. In anderen, wie z. B. den Bantusprachen, muss ein Wort aus mindestens zwei Silben bestehen. In den europäischen Sprachen rücken Einsilber gerade erst in den Fokus linguistischen Interesses. Die Beiträge dieses Bandes beschäftigen sich sowohl mit phonetischen und phonologischen als auch mit morphologischen und funktionalen Aspekten von Einsilbern. Der Fokus richtet sich auf das Zusammenwirken von Silben- und Wortstruktur, wie auch auf die phonologischen und morphologischen Regeln der Wohlgeformtheit. Es wird sowohl die Entwicklung von Einsilbern in Sprachen, die diesen Silbentyp bevorzugen (ostasiatische Sprachen, aber auch Dänisch), als auch ihre spezielle Rolle als Ausnahmeform innerhalb des Lexikons und bei speziellen Wortformen wie z.B. den Imperativen diskutiert. Methodisch reicht die Spannweite von experimenteller Phonetik, über quantitative Linguistik und Analysen von Einzelsprachen bis hin zu großangelegten typologischen Vergleichen.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050060354
ISBN:: 978-3-050-06035-4
ISBN:: 978-3-050-05925-9
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2012

Irregularity in Morphology (and beyond)

Thomas Stolz, Hitomi Otsuka, Aina Urdze, Johan van der Auwera

Volume 11 in this series

More Cite

Irregularity is a philological concept which is not adequately defined. The present volume aims to improve the understanding of irregularity within the domain of morphology, relating to inflectional, derivation, and compounding. Studies aim to discover the potential regularity behind irregularities, the fact or hypothesis that regular (sound) change produces irregularity (Sturtevant's Paradox), the nature of paradigms (esp. suppletion and overabundance), and the interplay of irregular morphology with syntax and pragmatics. Perspectives are synchronic and diachronic. A few studies approach irregularity from the psycholinguistic point of view (issues of memory and acquisition). Languages studied include Latin and its daughter languages French, Catalan and Italian, but also English, German, Greek, Russian, Turkish, Thompson Salish, and the Iroquoian languages. Theories discussed include Canonical Typology, Distributed Morphology, Whole Word Morphology, Minimalism, and the Procedural/Declarative Model.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050059587
ISBN:: 978-3-050-05958-7
ISBN:: 978-3-050-05924-2
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2012

Morphologies in Contact

Martine Vanhove, Thomas Stolz, Aina Urdze, Hitomi Otsuka

Volume 10 in this series

More Cite

This collection of articles takes up the issue of Contact Morphology raised by David Wilkins in 1996. In the majority of contact-related studies, morphology is at best a marginal topic. According to the extant borrowing hierarchies, bound morphology is copied only rarely, if at all, because morphological copies presuppose long-term intensive contact with prior massive borrowing of content words and function words. On the other hand, especially in studies of morphological change, contact is often identified as the decisive factor which triggers the disintegration of morphological systems. However, it remains to be seen whether these two standard treatments of morphology in contact situations exhaust the phenomenology of Contact Morphology. The 14 papers of the present volume shed new light on the behavior of morphology under the conditions of language contact. Fresh empirical data from 40 languages world-wide are presented and new theory-based concepts are discussed. Morphologies in Contact is a first in the history of both morphology and language contact studies. It is meant to mark the beginning of an international research program which explores the entire range of aspects connected to morphologies in contact and thus, paves the way for a full-blown Contact Morphology qua linguistic discipline.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050057699
ISBN:: 978-3-05-005769-9
ISBN:: 978-3-05-005701-9
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2011

Variation and Change

The Dynamics of Maltese in Space, Time and Society

Sandro Caruana, Ray Fabri, Thomas Stolz

Volume 9 in this series

More Cite

The twelve contributions to this collection of articles focus on variation and change in the lexicon, morphology, syntax and phonology of Maltese. Various aspects of lectal variation are addressed: the properties of sociolects, technolects, regional varieties, and different registers of present-day Maltese are discussed. On-going changes are looked at in several of the papers. The questions of whether or not there is a typical Maltese EU-variety or a distinct sociolect spoken by the younger generation are raised. Not all of the phenomena which attest variation can be ascribed to the sociolinguistic sphere. Morpho-syntactic issues like the definition of clitics, the causative-inchoative alternation and the employment of the possessive relative clause are linked more closely to structural and functional factors. Suprasegmental issues like the use of pauses in spoken Maltese and the syllable structure of Maltese are scrutinized as well. These topics are complemented by dialectological studies, investigations of the pragmatics of Maltese and the description of literary Maltese. The range of topics covered in this collection proves that it is worth the while studying Maltese from the perspective of general linguistics.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050057200
ISBN:: 978-3-050-05720-0
ISBN:: 978-3-050-05648-7
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2011

Total Reduplication

The Areal Linguistics of a Potential Universal

Thomas Stolz, Cornelia Stroh, Aina Urdze

Volume 8 in this series

More Cite

Total reduplication is a widely common phenomenon in human languages. Nevertheless, it has not gained sufficient attention among linguists. This monograph demonstrates that the comparative study of total reduplication challenges the traditional notion of linguistic universal. Contrary to the belief that total reduplication is almost completely unknown in the linguistic landscape of Europe, it is shown that a sizable group of European languages make ample use of total reduplication (not only for lexical but also for grammatical purposes). This means that the areal-typological map of the Old Continent has to be modified considerably. With special focus on the situation in Europe, the functional and formal aspects which determine the systematic character of total reduplication are presented according to quantitative and qualitative principles. Their importance for general linguistic theory is elaborated upon. The results are evaluated cartographically. The data are drawn from several hundred languages (standard and nonstandard varieties) world-wide. Methodologically, the study relies on a huge parallel literary corpus.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050050973
ISBN:: 978-3-050-05097-3
ISBN:: 978-3-050-05173-4
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2005

Typological Studies in Participation

Christian Lehmann

Volume 7 in this series

More Cite

Dieser Sammelband präsentiert Ergebnisse des DFG-Forschungsprojekts "Lexikalische und grammatische Typologie des Yukatekischen Maya" (Universitäten Bielefeld und Erfurt 1996–2002, Leitung Christian Lehmann). Die beiden enthaltenen Beiträge thematisieren die Codierung semantischer Relationen durch syntaktische Relationen und die grammatische Reflektion von Partizipantenkonstellationen in einer Situation (Partizipation). Die Analysen kombinieren den funktionalen und den strukturellen Ansatz. Christian Lehmann und Yong-Min Shin verfolgen die onomasiologische Perspektive und behandeln die Versprachlichung diverser instrumentaler und komitativer Relationen in den Sprachen Englisch, Deutsch, Hmong, Japanisch, Kambera, Kayardild, Khmer, Kolyma Yukagirisch, Koreanisch, Lezgisch, Mandarin Chinesisch, Thai, Türkisch, Vietnamesisch, Yidin und Yukatekisch. Sie entwickeln einen umfassenden Rahmen zur typologischen Untersuchung der funktionalen Domäne der Konkomitanz und unterscheiden zwischen spezifischeren Partizipantenrelationen wie Partner, Begleiter, Vehikel, Werkzeug, Material, Art und Weise und Umstand. Es wird gezeigt, dass Konkomitanten in ihrer syntaktischen Kodierung entsprechend diesen spezifischeren Funktionen sowie in Abhängigkeit von absoluten Eigenschaften wie z. B. Belebtheit variieren. Christian Lehmann and Elisabeth Verhoeven nehmen in ihrem Beitrag dagegen die semasiologische Perspektive ein und behandeln die syntaktische Kodierung peripherer Partizipanten in inkorporativen Strukturen. Sie kontrastieren Substantivinkorporation im Yukatekischen mit demselben Prozess in anderen Sprachen, in denen er gleichfalls der Veränderung der Partizipantenstruktur dient, nämlich im Nahuatl, Guaraní, Mayali und im Samoanischen. Dabei ergibt sich, dass im Yukatekischen Substantivinkorporation in einem größeren Maße zur Neuanordnung von Partizipanten genutzt wird als in anderen Sprachen. Weiterhin zeigt ein Vergleich mit anderen Mayasprachen, dass Inkorporation im Yukatekischen eine Besonderheit innerhalb dieser Sprachfamilie darstellt. Dies gilt sowohl in Bezug auf die Bedeutung von inkorporativen Verben als auch in Bezug auf die Funktionen, die dieser Prozess erfüllt.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050080536
ISBN:: 978-3-05-003702-8
ISBN:: 978-3-05-008053-6
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2004

Focus on Germanic Typology

Werner Abraham

Volume 6 in this series

More Cite

Aus dem Inhalt: Werner Abraham und Gert Webelhuth Words of dedication for Hartmut Czepluch Werner Abraham Introduction John H. McWhorter What happened to English? Halldór Ármann Sigurdsson Agree and Agreement - Evidence from Germanic Jóhanna Barddal The semantics of the impersonal construction in Icelandic, German and Faroese: beyond thematic roles Cedric Boeckx und Kleanthes K. Grohmann Left dislocation in Germanic Jac C. Conradie Verb sequence and placement: Afrikaans and Dutch compared Hartmut Czepluch ((Sterbezeichen)) Reflections on the form and function of passives in English and German Molly Diesing The upper functional domain in Yiddish Bridget Drinka Präteritumschwund: evidence for areal difussion Werner Abraham The European demise of the simple past and the emergence of the periphrastic perfect: Areal diffusion or natural, autonomous evolution under parsing facilitation? László Molnárfi Some remarks on the formal typology of pronouns in West Germanic Rolf Thieroff The subjunctive mood in German and in the Germanic languages

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050084336
ISBN:: 978-3-05-004106-3
ISBN:: 978-3-05-008433-6
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2002

The Origin of Agent Markers

Enrique L. Palancar

Volume 5 in this series

More Cite

This study shows that Passive Agent markers and Ergative markers do not always realize an unified semantic category of an Agent. The syncretisms present in the semantics of these markers point to the existence of different ways in which we can construe reference to an Initial-Energizer. Certain family traits have been found throughout the book as to what construals are preferred over others. The book was intended as a way to understand the motivation behind the choice of a given marker to express an Agent within a well-defined grammatical context. Palancar believes that the introduction of a thematic category such as an Energizer can serve as a valuable contribution to linguistic theory. He shows throughout the book, the Energizer, together with its derivations and different applications, can help us account for the case-syncretisms of the markers of thestudy, but more importantly to understand the complex way energetic categories work within the human mind.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050081410
ISBN:: 978-3-05-003767-7
ISBN:: 978-3-05-008141-0
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2002

Problems of Polysynthesis

Nicholas Evans, Hans-Jürgen Sasse

Volume 4 in this series

More Cite

The papers deal with a range of questions raised for linguistic theory and description by polysynthetic languages. Prototypical polysynthetic lamguages, found among unrelated language families in such varied parts of the world as North America, Meso-America, Siberia, northern Australia, and Papua New Guinea, display remarkably similar suites of grammatical characteristics. But, nearly two centuries after Humboldt and Kleinschmidt began to make the existence and interest of polysythetic languages widely known among linguistics, languages of this type continue to pose a challange to every major linguistic theory.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050080956
ISBN:: 978-3-05-003732-5
ISBN:: 978-3-05-008095-6
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2002

Predicate Compounding in the Yi-Group

The Continuum of Grammaticalization

Matthias Gerner

Volume 3 in this series

More Cite

This monograph deals with grammaticalization of the verb in its early phase. The very productive metaphorical process which is in display in the verb-final languages ofthe Yi-group (Burmese-Lolo languages from south-West China) may be described by the Metaphor "States of affairs are objects". This Metaphor and various other sub-Metaphors are based on the notion of Transfermetaphor and the hierarchie of metaphorical processes. grammaticalization motivated by the above Metaphor happens in the larger framework of PP (Predicate-Predicate) compounds and essentially leads to products lying in the realm of Delimitation, Phase, and Resultative State. This work is meant to draw the first half of the picture of all the products of grammaticalization in the damain of the verb. The focus is on Yi languages, but comparative data from the whole range of Bermese-Lolo languages will be presented in comprehensive tables. While the similarity in sound structure of these products of grammaticalization overwhelmingly points to the genetic relatedness of the Burmese-Lolo languages, the very ingredients of the underlying metaphorical processes are much less supportive of such a conclusion.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050079998
ISBN:: 978-3-05-003664-9
ISBN:: 978-3-05-007999-8
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2001

"Was ich noch sagen wollte…"

A multilingual Festschrift for Norbert Boretzky on occasion of his 65 th birthday

Birgit Igla, Thomas Stolz

Volume 2 in this series

More Cite

During the past three decades Norbert Boretzky (born 1935 in Breslau) has contributed excellent scholarly work in an impressive variety of subject matters in various linguistic subdisciplines. Among his many scientific achievements, his groundbreaking research in the field of Pidgin and Creole language studies stands out much in the same way as his well-renowned and well-received publications in Balkan linguistics, Albanian linguistics, Slavic philology, theoretical diachrony, lexical semantics, contact linguistics, language typology, and most recently Romani linguistics. The Festschrift reflects the plethora of interests of Norbert Boretzky to whom his colleagues, disciples, and friends dedicate their contributions.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783050079851
ISBN:: 9783050079851
ISBN:: 9783050036526
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag

Book 2001

Aspects of Typology and Universals

Walter Bisang

Volume 1 in this series

More Cite

The first volume of "Studia typologica" contains the full length documentation og the plenary lectures of the Mainz Summer School on Typology 1998.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1524/9783050078892
ISBN:: 978-3-05-003559-8
ISBN:: 978-3-05-007889-2
Subject:: Linguistics and Semiotics
Subject:: Theoretical Frameworks and Disciplines
Subject:: Linguistics, other
Publisher:: Akademie Verlag