Program for the Rice University Symposium

[Spike Gildea]

Announcing the Schedule for the Seventh Biennial Rice University Symposium
on Linguistics:

                The Interface Between Comparative Linguistics
          and Grammaticalization Theory: Languages of the Americas

                                RICE UNIVERSITY
                                Houston,  Texas
                               March 26-29, 1997


Studies of grammaticalization often rely on internal reconstruction to
posit the source of a given piece of innovative grammar, then invoke
typological variation attested for parallel constructions in unrelated
languages as representing different stages in a presumed parallel change.
In contrast, comparative studies often do not address morphosyntactic
patterns in their comparisons, or do so in only the most general of terms.
This symposium will bring together comparativists and grammaticalization
theoreticians to discuss (a) the role that comparative data might play in
strengthening or altering some hypotheses about stages of
grammaticalization, and (b) the role grammaticalization theory might play
in helping to organize comparative morphosyntactic data.  Both discussions
will focus on indigenous languages of the Americas in the hope of inspiring
future descriptive work informed by a comparative vision of morphosyntactic
change.

--Wednesday, March 26--

Opening Banquet, Cohen House
6:00-7:00 Reception
7:00-9:00 Dinner

Judith Brown, Dean of Humanities, Rice University
Welcoming Remarks

Jim Copeland, Professor and Chair of Linguistics, Rice University
Introduction to the Rice Biennial Symposium on Linguistics

Spike Gildea, Rice University
Goals of the Symposium


--Thursday, March 27--

Farnsworth Pavilion, Rice Memorial Center
9:00-10:15 Bernd Heine,Institut fur Afrikanistik,Universitat zu Koln
"Grammaticalization Chains Across Languages: An Example from Khoisan"*
*honorary language family of the (far-eastern) Americas
10:15-10:30 Discussion

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-12:00 Marianne Mithun, University of California, Santa Barbara
           "The Stories Behind the Ordering of Morphemes"

12:00-12:15 Discussion
12:15-2:00 Lunch

2:00-3:15 T. Givon, University of Oregon
         "Internal Reconstruction: Methodological and Theoretical Notes"

3:15-3:30 Discussion
3:30-3:45 Break
3:45-5:00 General Discussion

--Friday, March 28--

9:00-10:15 Terrence Kaufman, University of Pittsburgh
          "Gradient Grammaticalization of Incorporated Roots in the Verb
           Word in Mixe-Zoquean Languages"

10:15-10:30 Discussion
10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-12:00 Aryon Rodrigues, Universidade de Brasilia
           "Morphosyntactic Changes due to Phonological Reduction
            in Tupi-Guarani"

12:00-12:15 Discussion
12:15-2:00 Lunch

2:00-3:15 Wallace Chafe, University of California, Santa Barbara
         "The Rise of Polysynthesis within the Iroquoian Language Family"

3:15-3:30 Discussion
3:30-3:45 Break

3:45-5:00 Sergio Meira, Rice University
         "The Genesis of an Epiphenomenal Split-S System in Cariban Languages"

5:00-5:15 Discussion


--Saturday, March 29--

10:00-11:15 Alexandra Aikhenvald, Australian National University
           "Grammaticalization in Areal and Genetic Perspective:
            Serial Verbs and Verb Compounding in North Arawak Languages"

11:15-11:30 Discussion
11:30-1:30 Lunch

1:30-2:45 Spike Gildea, Rice University
         "On the Evolution of Constituency in the Cariban Family:
          Rethinking Word Order Typology"

2:45-3:00 Discussion
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-5:15 Round Table/General Discussion

If you are interested in attending the symposium, contact John Newell
(jpn at rice.edu) for more information.