This thesis examines several uses of the French adverb 'seulement' that have been distinguished by French researcher Beyssade (2010). On the basis of a corpus study (Corpus d'Orléans) and speaker...Show moreThis thesis examines several uses of the French adverb 'seulement' that have been distinguished by French researcher Beyssade (2010). On the basis of a corpus study (Corpus d'Orléans) and speaker judgments, this thesis presents some new insights with respect to the theoretical classification of 'seulement'. Some classes have slightly different properties than Beyssade (2010) originally proposed. In this way, this thesis is extending the discussion that has been led on by multiple linguists with regard to the topic of 'seulement'.Show less
This paper investigated discourse on the use of the English language in Dutch pop music. An important term in this research was societal treatment. Societal treatment studies deal with the explicit...Show moreThis paper investigated discourse on the use of the English language in Dutch pop music. An important term in this research was societal treatment. Societal treatment studies deal with the explicit manifestations of beliefs, feelings and behavioural intents present in a wide range of communications (Santello 2015). The questions which were researched in this thesis were: What are the language attitudes of the people of the Netherlands towards Dutch and towards English in pop music? Do they have a language preference? Three methods were used to look at the societal treatment of English and Dutch in pop music: content analysis, indirect measurement, and direct measurement (Van Meurs 2010). In the content analysis, Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) was gathered about the use of Dutch and English in pop music from different forums. All this data was categorized into twenty-three different categories. The indirect measurement consists of a questionnaire which focused on the four tendencies which were found in the content analysis. These four tendencies were the connection to the song, the understanding of the song, the thoughts on the lyrics, and the enjoyment of the song. The goal of this questionnaire was to define if there were differences in the treatment of Dutch and English in these tendencies by letting people evaluate different video clips. In all the video clips Dutch artists were present but half of the video clips were sung in Dutch and the other half was sung in English. The direct measurement was the creation of two discussions online which focused on upcoming new Dutch music genres and the language attitudes of the Dutch towards the Dutch language. Overall, the results show that most of the Dutch have a negative language attitude towards their first language and have a language preference for English in pop music.Show less
In deze scriptie wordt uitgezocht welke factoren van cultuur en cultureel bewustzijn invloed kunnen hebben op de tweedetaalverwerving van Chinees en Nederlands. Dit is gedaan door middel van...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt uitgezocht welke factoren van cultuur en cultureel bewustzijn invloed kunnen hebben op de tweedetaalverwerving van Chinees en Nederlands. Dit is gedaan door middel van interviews met Nederlanders die Chinees leren en Chinezen die Nederlands leren. De belangrijkste factoren zijn de schoolsystemem van China en Nederland, communicatie, motivatie en formaliteit.Show less
This study examines L2 learners’ ability to distinguish category boundaries in two languages that differ in their semantic categorization and range of application. L1 Spanish speakers of L2 English...Show moreThis study examines L2 learners’ ability to distinguish category boundaries in two languages that differ in their semantic categorization and range of application. L1 Spanish speakers of L2 English were tested for their categorization of items in both languages. Participants were divided into three groups according to their English proficiency level. The data reveals that although high proficiency in an L2 correlates to less evidence of L1 influence in semantic processing, L2 learners are still influenced by the L1 even at high levels of proficiency. Moreover, the results suggest that L2 learners’ semantic system might be based on that of the L1 and that L2 words could be mediated by L1 meanings.Show less
This thesis consolidates the available literature on game localisation into a single, ideal localisation process and compares this ideal process to the localisation of the Massive Multiplayer...Show moreThis thesis consolidates the available literature on game localisation into a single, ideal localisation process and compares this ideal process to the localisation of the Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) game Final Fantasy XIV. The main purpose is to identify and discuss any MMO specific localisation issues. Information on the localisation process of Final Fantasy XIV was gained through an interview with the localisation staff, as well as previously available online material. The results show that the localisation of Final Fantasy XIV even exceeds the ideal localisation on several points, and indicates several MMO specific localisation issues: fluctuating team size, the need for uniformity of visual assets in all language versions, short localisation cycles, and how to incorporate player feedback. Furthermore, the analysis shows that the localised versions of the game have influenced the original version in several ways.Show less
It was Werner Winter (1965: 192) who first drew our attention to the phenomenon of laryngeal metathesis, that is the idea that a sequence of *-Hu- and *-Hi- apparently underwent metathesis...Show moreIt was Werner Winter (1965: 192) who first drew our attention to the phenomenon of laryngeal metathesis, that is the idea that a sequence of *-Hu- and *-Hi- apparently underwent metathesis interconsonantally, potentially already at the Proto-Indo-European stage. However, the full evidence has yet to receive a full and systematic appraisal, and there is no consensus as to the age or correctness of this rule. In my research, I hope to find an answer to the following questions (1) Was laryngeal metathesis already present in Proto-Indo-European? More specifically, can it be viewed as an automatic (allophonic) realization of such a sequence, or was it already a phonemicized rule in PIE? (2) What exactly were the conditions for such metathesis, i.e. did it occur between all consonants, including resonants and *s? (3) How can we explain apparent exceptions to this metathesis (Lat. futurum, Gr. φῠτόν, Hirt’s law in Balto-Slavic)? A large part of this research depends on the methodology. The first task I will undertake in my thesis is to establish exactly which languages and language families can give us information on the position of a laryngeal in a full-grade root, and how reliable this information is. I will then highlight a number of positive examples of laryngeal metathesis. Finally, I will evaluate this evidence, and attempt to answer the questions posed above.Show less
In this master thesis, the phenomenon of insubordination will be treated. This phenomenon has been described by Evans (2007:367) for the first time as “the conventionalized main-clause of what, on...Show moreIn this master thesis, the phenomenon of insubordination will be treated. This phenomenon has been described by Evans (2007:367) for the first time as “the conventionalized main-clause of what, on prima facie grounds, appear to be formally subordinate clauses”. Although this phenomenon has been defined several times in prescriptive grammars, Evans (2007) was the first who has done descriptive research for many Indo-European languages, including Dutch. Unfortunately the French language has not been described. Therefore the main subject of this MA thesis will be to compare the theory of Evans (2007) for the Dutch language and apply it to the French language. This thesis will be limited to the conjunctions “if” and “that” which introduce the conventionalized main-clauses. The main objective of this research will be a comparative research into the Dutch and French language, more specific into the two conjunctions “if” and “that”. The reason why those two conjunctions have been chosen is the fact that they appear most often in all the languages which have examined by Evans (2007). The methodology of this MA thesis will be comparative and theoretical. Moreover, there will be a section including some case studies. The content of the different sections will be thus: the first chapter will give an overview of all the literature concerning the phenomenon insubordination. The second chapter will be dedicated to the conjunction “if” in Dutch and French. The next chapter will be dedicated to the conjunction “that” and the fourth chapter will be showing some case studies to support my theory. The Corpus d’Orléans has provided the information for this thesis. Finally, all results will be summarized in the conclusion.Show less
An exploration of lexical dialectology within the state of Maine in the Eastern United States. Discussed are regional lexical distinctions within the state, lists a glossary of regional words, and...Show moreAn exploration of lexical dialectology within the state of Maine in the Eastern United States. Discussed are regional lexical distinctions within the state, lists a glossary of regional words, and examines whether words specifically linked to the Maine region are disappearing or simply shifting to the larger New England variational words or Standard American words.Show less
This essay looks at the translatability of the Dutch argumentative operators 'nauwelijks' and 'amper' into English. Their usage and argumentative strenght are compared to 'barely','hardly' and ...Show moreThis essay looks at the translatability of the Dutch argumentative operators 'nauwelijks' and 'amper' into English. Their usage and argumentative strenght are compared to 'barely','hardly' and 'scarcely'. The underlying goal is to determine whether argumentativity is translatable.Show less
This thesis investigates the influence of cognates on language switching in Dutch-English bilinguals. The aim of this study is to determine whether language-switch direction and a bilingual’s L2...Show moreThis thesis investigates the influence of cognates on language switching in Dutch-English bilinguals. The aim of this study is to determine whether language-switch direction and a bilingual’s L2 proficiency or “L2 background” (i.e. how often participants use English, their L2, outside of an academic context) influence the effect of cognates. Thirty-three Dutch-English bilingual students were divided into four groups based on their L2 (English) proficiency and their “L2 background”. These participants performed a cued language switching task with pictures of both cognate and non-cognate words, which had to be named in English or Dutch in accordance to the color cue. The results of this research show: (1) cognate facilitation from L1 (Dutch) to L2 (English) but only in average proficiency participants; (2) switch direction influences the performance in the experiment, and possibly inhibits switches from L2-L1 but not in combination with cognates; (3) and similarly, the proficiency and the L2 background of the participant may influence the performance, but not the cognate effect as there was not a significant interaction with the trigger variable. This thesis did not find clear evidence for cognate facilitation in both switching directions; there is only a cognate facilitation effect in the average proficiency group switching from Dutch to English. Cognate status did not have a significant interaction with the response time, whereas switch direction did have a significant interaction. This could suggest that switch direction is influences switching performance more than cognate status in L2 learners.Show less
The triggering of a phonological rule by a sonority related feature might provide insight into the phonological process behind the input and output of a phonological rule. Is a sonority-based...Show moreThe triggering of a phonological rule by a sonority related feature might provide insight into the phonological process behind the input and output of a phonological rule. Is a sonority-based feature possibly a key factor in the change towards sonorant sounds in a language? One of the ways of finding a possible influence of sonority would be to look at sounds that change from being phonologically [-sonorant] to [+sonorant], and analyzing whether this change can be attributed to the presence of a sonorous sound as described above for the SV theory. Or if this change might be better explained by other phonological theories like Element Theory, or by looking at different phonological processes like lenition? This paper wil argue that analyzing changes to sonorant segments can be explained intuitively by using Element Theory and a lenition based viewpoint.Show less
This thesis identifies a gap in existing research and reflects on the position of translations, comics, graphic novels and classics in the literary canon. By taking Homer's Odyssey as an example,...Show moreThis thesis identifies a gap in existing research and reflects on the position of translations, comics, graphic novels and classics in the literary canon. By taking Homer's Odyssey as an example, this thesis demonstrates both the didactic and the literary quality of the graphic novel, which have been and still are undervalued by academics. Furthermore, this thesis explores the nature of (intersemiotic) translation, by studying the transition from Homer's epic to Gareth Hinds' graphic novel.Show less
