Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
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This thesis investigates a recurring issue found in fieldwork on Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan languages: how can a linguist tell if a given language has the vowels [ɪ ʊ], or [e o], or both? These...Show moreThis thesis investigates a recurring issue found in fieldwork on Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan languages: how can a linguist tell if a given language has the vowels [ɪ ʊ], or [e o], or both? These two pairs of vowels – which differ in their height and ATR (‘advanced tongue root’) value – are notoriously difficult to tell apart acoustically, and their pronunciation varies considerably between languages and even speakers. Moreover, previous studies have only focused on how to distinguish these vowels in languages with both pairs; in languages with just one pair, how do we know if that pair is [ɪ ʊ] or [e o]? To address this gap, the main acoustic study of this thesis looks at data from Boa-Leboale, a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has historically been described as only having [ɪ ʊ], not [e o]. Using the results and acoustic methodology of Starwalt’s (2008) landmark study, I construct a number of hypotheses to test two research questions; research question (I) investigates whether Boa-Leboale has one or two pairs of vowels and research question (II) attempts to identify whether a given set of vowels is more likely to be [ɪ ʊ] or [e o]. The results of this study indicate that Boa-Leboale does indeed have only one pair of vowels, and those vowels are most likely [ɪ ʊ], as suggested by previous descriptions. Given this promising result, I hope that further studies will be able to improve on the study presented here and solve the issue of identifying these vowels acoustically not just for Boa-Leboale, but for any language.Show less
The goal of this thesis is to determine the factors that affect the decomposability of affixed words in a cross linguistic level by conducting two experiments, the first in English and the second...Show moreThe goal of this thesis is to determine the factors that affect the decomposability of affixed words in a cross linguistic level by conducting two experiments, the first in English and the second in Modern Greek language. With the term decomposability I refer to the property of affixed words to be broken down to their basic components in order to be semantically defined. Native speakers are able to distinguish and seperate their language's complex words into their basic morphemes. One of the main factors that is suspected to affect the decomposability of affixed words is the relative frequency of the words themselves. After I provide sufficient information about the specifics of relative frequency and other possible factors that can affect the decomposability of affixed words, I will present in detail the two experiments that were performed along with their results. The thesis will conclude with a discussion of the results before determining whether the examined factors share the same effects in both languages and examining if the possibility of other factors that affect the phenomenon of decomposability in a cross-linguistic level may exist or not.Show less
Proto-Indo-European root morphemes are characterised by co-occurrence constraints on stops, namely **TVT-, **C1VC1-, **DVD- and **TVDh. The traditional reconstruction and historical-linguistic...Show moreProto-Indo-European root morphemes are characterised by co-occurrence constraints on stops, namely **TVT-, **C1VC1-, **DVD- and **TVDh. The traditional reconstruction and historical-linguistic theories aiming to explain the root restrictions from historical-linguistic perspective are critically reviewed. Typology classifies the Proto-Indo-European root restrictions as absolute, static co-occurrence restrictions. **TVT and **C1VC1 are co-occurrence restrictions on place of articulation, whereas **DVD and **TVDh are co-occurrence restrictions on laryngeal features. The application of existing phonological theories shows that **TVT and **C1VC1 can be explained by the Obligatory Contour Principle. A model in Dispersion Theory explains **DVD as a dissimilatory constraint and **TVDh as the consequence of an assimilatory constraint on *Dh.Show less
It has often been observed that English is gradually shifting from a predominantly synthetic towards a more analytic language (see e.g. Lutz 1997; McIntyre 2009; Haselow 2011). This thesis examines...Show moreIt has often been observed that English is gradually shifting from a predominantly synthetic towards a more analytic language (see e.g. Lutz 1997; McIntyre 2009; Haselow 2011). This thesis examines whether this gradual shift can also be observed in the way that English marks comparative forms. Many present-day English adjectives can form the comparative in two ways: by morphological means, viz. by suffixation of -er (greener), and by syntactic means, viz. by the periphrastic construction more green. Given that variation is a prerequisite of linguistic change, and that English is becoming more analytic, we would expect a gradual replacement of morphological comparatives by periphrastic constructions. Previous studies have found structural and frequency factors that affect the choice between the morphological and periphrastic comparative (see e.g. Hilpert 2008; Mondorf 2009; Cheung & Zhang 2016). This thesis also aims to examine whether these factors have an effect on the diachronic development as well. This corpus-based study examines fifteen English comparatives between 1810 and 2015. A clear replacement of morphological comparatives by periphrastic constructions can be observed from the 1950s onwards. The separate diachronic developments of the fifteen comparatives illustrate that there are clear developmental differences between these comparatives. These differences can be explained by structural and frequency factors, as will be suggested by this thesis.Show less
This thesis reviews the main theoretical approaches and research results concerning the ‘passive’ English nouns ending in -ee, e.g. interviewee. The theoretical approaches discussed are divided in...Show moreThis thesis reviews the main theoretical approaches and research results concerning the ‘passive’ English nouns ending in -ee, e.g. interviewee. The theoretical approaches discussed are divided in two broad categories: ‘synchronic’ and ‘diachronic’ approaches. Two synchronic lines of inquiry are the syntactic and the semantic viewpoints; a ‘symbolic’ approach acts as a supplement to the latter. The diachronic lines of investigation look into historical changes in characteristics of -ee nouns. The research surveyed suggests that a comprehensive analysis of the -ee construction, including anomalous cases, is impossible. A conceptualization in terms of more, or less, prototypical features appears more viable.Show less
This thesis examines the nature of the laryngeal contrast in English fortis and lenis stops. In the phonological literature, two analyses of the English stop contrast have been offered....Show moreThis thesis examines the nature of the laryngeal contrast in English fortis and lenis stops. In the phonological literature, two analyses of the English stop contrast have been offered. Traditionally, fortis and lenis stops are said to have a contrast of voice, the former being voiceless and the latter voiced. According to this analysis, English marks its stops for voice. A second tradition assumes that the contrast is based on aspiration instead. Here, the claim is that English marks its stops for aspiration instead of voice. With the help of a detailed examination of the phonetic realization of English fortis and lenis stops, this thesis considers the advantages and drawbacks of both approaches, and concludes that the aspiration based approach better fits the phonetic facts.Show less
