Half-time research position at MPI-EVA Leipzig

[Michael Cysouw]

Organization: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology,  
Leipzig
Department: Linguistics
Job Rank: (Post)doctoral Researcher
Specialty Areas: Typology

Description:

The Department of Linguistics at the Max Plank Institute for  
Evolutionary Anthropology invites applications for a half-time  
position in syntactic typology, starting April 1 or later. The salary  
is based on the German BAT-O IIa/2 payscale and the position is  
especially (but not exclusively) suitable for a student who wishes to  
persue a doctoral degree in typology in Leipzig. The position is  
limited to three years but continuation beyond that is possible in  
follow-up projects.

The position is available in the research project 'Marked Absolutive  
and Marked Nominative Case Systems in Synchronic and Diachronic  
Persepctive', funded by the DFG (German Research Foundation) as part  
of a new research unit 'Grammar and Processing of Verbal  
Arguments' (Forschergruppe 742, http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~va/). The  
position starts May 1, 2006, and lasts three years.

The goal of the project is to study the geographical distribution,  
typology and diachrony of a rare type of case system, which we call  
‘marked nominative/absolutive’. The defining characteristic of these  
systems is that there is an overt case-morpheme for the nominative/ 
absolutive case (i.e., the case that is shared between intransitive  
and transitive constructions), in contrast to a non-overt (zero)  
morpheme for the accusative/ergative. The project team (Michael  
Cysouw, Søren Wichmann, and the Researcher) will investigate  
commonalities and differences among such case systems and relate them  
to case systems in general, to issues of formal vs. functional  
markedness, and, where possible, shed light on the origins and  
developments of the case systems. A part of the project will involve  
building up a database of different kinds of intransitive  
construction types.

Applications via email are strongly encouraged. Applicants should  
briefly explain why they would be qualified for this project. A full  
CV should be added as a pdf attachment. Please send any application  
simultaneously to Michael Cysouw (cysouw at eva.mpg.de) and Søren  
Wichmann (wichmann at eva.mpg.de)

Applicants who happen to participate in the Leipzig Spring School on  
Linguistic Diversity (http://lingweb.eva.mpg.de/SpringSchool2006/) or  
the Rara & Rarissima conference (http://email.eva.mpg.de/rara2006/)  
should approach Michael Cysouw or Søren Wichmann for the arrangement  
of interviews.

Address for Applications:

Michael Cysouw
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Department of Linguistics
Deutscher Platz 6
D-04103 Leipzig
Germany

Application Deadline: 26 March 2006