Grammatical gender and linguistic complexity : Volume II: World-wide comparative studies

Peer reviewe

Volume II: World-wide comparative studies

The many facets of grammatical gender remain one of the most fruitful areas of linguistic research, and pose fascinating questions about the origins and development of complexity in language. The present work is a two-volume collection of 13 chapters on the topic of grammatical gender seen through the prism of linguistic complexity. The contributions discuss what counts as complex and/or simple in grammatical gender systems, whether the distribution of gender systems across the world’s languages relates to the language ecology and social history of speech communities. Contributors demonstrate how the complexity of gender systems can be studied synchronically, both in individual languages and over large cross-linguistic samples, and diachronically, by exploring how gender systems change over time. Volume two consists of three chapters providing diachronic and typological case studies, followed by a final chapter discussing old and new theoretical and empirical challenges in the study of the dynamics of gender complexity. This volume is preceded by volume one, which, in addition to three chapters on the theoretical foundations of gender complexity, contains six chapters on grammatical gender and complexity in individual languages and language families of Africa, New Guinea, and South Asia

Lexicon, morphophonology, and noun classes

Synopsis: This monograph proposes a reconstruction of the lexicon, the morphophonology and the noun class system of Proto-Fula–Sereer (~3500 BP). Fula–Sereer represents one of the six branches of the North-Atlantic group. North-Atlantic, together with the Bak group of languages, forms the Atlantic family, which represents a separate branch within the Niger-Congo macro-family. The lexical reconstruction of the proto-language of a group such as Fula–Sereer requires the solution of a number of questions that are of interest for the general theory of comparative studies. These questions deal with the morphophonological mutations of root-initial consonants. Since consonant mutations were structured into morphological paradigms already at the Proto-Fula–Sereer stage, the evolution of initial consonantism in Fula and Sereer was based not on regular phonetic changes, but on massive irregular analogous changes. The reconstruction of Proto-Fula–Sereer consonant mutations is given in Chapter 2. In Chapters 3-6 the author proposes a reconstruction of the initial consonants. Next, the reconstruction of final consonants (Chapter 7) as well as vowels (Chapter 8) is given. In Chapter 9, taking in account the lexical cognates, the long-standing problem of the PFS noun class reconstruction is rediscussed. The Appendix provides a list of ~720 lexical reconstructions and their approximate meanings

Proto-Fula–Sereer

This monograph proposes a reconstruction of the lexicon, the morphophonology and the noun class system of Proto-Fula–Sereer (~3500 BP). Fula–Sereer represents one of the six branches of the North-Atlantic group. North-Atlantic, together with the Bak group of languages, forms the Atlantic family, which represents a separate branch within the Niger-Congo macro-family. The lexical reconstruction of the proto-language of a group such as Fula–Sereer requires the solution of a number of questions that are of interest for the general theory of comparative studies. These questions deal with the morphophonological mutations of root-initial consonants. Since consonant mutations were structured into morphological paradigms already at the Proto-Fula–Sereer stage, the evolution of initial consonantism in Fula and Sereer was based not on regular phonetic changes, but on massive irregular analogous changes. The reconstruction of Proto-Fula–Sereer consonant mutations is given in Chapter 2. In Chapters 3-6 the author proposes a reconstruction of the initial consonants. Next, the reconstruction of final consonants (Chapter 7) as well as vowels (Chapter 8) is given. In Chapter 9, taking in account the lexical cognates, the long-standing problem of the PFS noun class reconstruction is rediscussed. The Appendix provides a list of ~720 lexical reconstructions and their approximate meanings

The syntax of French

French is a syntactically interesting language, with aspects of its word order and clause structure triggering a variety of important developments in syntactic theory. This is a concise and accessible guide to the syntax of Modern French, providing a clear overview of those aspects of the language that are of particular interest to linguists. A broad variety of topics are covered, including the development and spread of French; the evolution of its syntax; syntactic variation; lexical categories; noun, verb and adjective phrases; clause structure; movement; and agreement. Drawing on the work of a wide range of scholars, it highlights the important role of French in the development of syntactic theory and shows how French challenges some fundamental assumptions about syntactic structure. An engaging and in-depth guide to all that is interesting about French, The Syntax of French will be invaluable to students and scholars of syntactic theory and comparative linguistics

Translating Zola's L’Assommoir: a stylistic approach

In the following thesis, we will be applying a number of linguistic, stylistic and critical techniques with a view to elucidating the phenomenon of literary translation. Our corpus will be drawn almost exclusively from Emile Zola's late nineteenth-century French classic, L'Assommoir, and seven English-language translations thereof: the focus of the thesis throughout being upon the analysis of concrete examples. Our aim is thus to arrive at a substantial body of analytical knowledge through the exploration of translation in practice rather than through a series of secondary commentaries upon other works of translation theory. Reference will, of course, be made to such works when appropriate. One of the principal premises of the thesis is that linguistic techniques can indeed be applied to a corpus of literary text without sacrificing traditional critical judgement or the possibility of rational evaluation. Accordingly, we will be concerned to formulate reasoned and explicit parameters of assessment throughout the course of our analysis. In particular, we will be seeking to illuminate the various facets of what we call 'literary texture' and how these might be rendered in translation. In certain cases, one rendering may be preferred to another, although no attempt will be made to rank the respective translations by order of merit in overall terms. Occasionally, we will also be hazarding our own versions when those drawn from the corpus prove to be unsatisfactory. Similarly, a 'proposed translation' is offered at the conclusion of every major passage studied. These translations are, of course, to be considered as open and heuristic explorations rather than prescriptive or definitive corrections. Our thesis will be divided into seven main chapters, each one of which is designed to illustrate the phenomenon of literary translation from a slightly different angle. In the first one of these, we map out the basic methodological template of the thesis. In the second, we examine various aspects of the decision making process involved in 'choosing the right word'. This lengthy second chapter is then followed by an analysis of the postulate that translations tend to be more periphrastic and explicit than originals. We then move onto the thorny terrain of prose rhythm, examining how the particular beat and pressure of the original text might be made to resonate within the echo chamber of another language. In the fifth and sixth chapters, we consider the difficulties involved in transcribing the specificity of colloquial language and slang into both written and translated form. Our study concludes with an exploration of Zola's écriture artiste, paying particular attention to the way in which the translators render the various figurative torques and twists characterising this highly aesthetic style of description. It is to be hoped that our thesis will be of interest both to students of translation in general and to Zola scholars in particular. I hereby declare that all work contained in this thesis not otherwise referenced is to be considered my own