<div dir="ltr">Can we please be careful with making statements like "African linguists will simply not have the chance to encounter so many languages in which other linguists have written relevant work. (In Africa, even big languages like Hausa and Yoruba are rarely used for academic purposes, it seems.)".<div><br></div><div>Africa is a large and diverse continent and there are many colleagues there who are familiar with relevant literature in English, French, Arabic, Portuguese since these are the languages of higher education and research in their countries. </div><div><br></div><div>Peter</div><div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, 26 Jun 2020 at 10:43, Martin Haspelmath <<a href="mailto:haspelmath@shh.mpg.de">haspelmath@shh.mpg.de</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
Maybe if you're Danish (like Hartmut and Nigel), or were otherwise
raised in some small (and rich) European country, then understanding
many of these languages is kind of natural.<br>
<br>
But somehow asking *all linguists* to be like this seems Eurocentric
to me. Korean/Chinese linguists (like Ian Joo) or African linguists
will simply not have the chance to encounter so many languages in
which other linguists have written relevant work. (In Africa, even
big languages like Hausa and Yoruba are rarely used for academic
purposes, it seems.)<br>
<br>
On the other hand, it's also ethnocentric to only cite work by
American linguists and somehow assume that there is nothing else of
relevance.<br>
<br>
So what's the solution? I think it must be (i) practical
universalism (only use English/Globish), combined with (ii)
awareness of the parochialism of English-language traditions.<br>
<br>
As an example of the latter, consider the term "agreement": As I
realized only after reading Cysouw (2011)
(<a href="https://epub.ub.uni-muenchen.de/17668/1/thli.2011.011.pdf" target="_blank">https://epub.ub.uni-muenchen.de/17668/1/thli.2011.011.pdf</a>), this
term did not exist in linguistics before Bloomfield (1933), and the
relevant concepts didn't exist earlier either. Same with
"grammatical relation" (due to Chomsky 1965), "focus" (due to
Chomsky 1970), and quite a few other terms. Natural as these terms
seem to us, they may not be the results of scientific discoveries
that we made, but mostly due to the spread of the English language
(and the influence of a few linguists working at rich U.S.
universities).<br>
<br>
Universalism and parochialism are in a certain tension, but I think
we really need to adopt both at the same time if we want to progress
in our scientific understanding of language(s).<br>
<br>
Martin<br>
<br>
<div>Am 26.06.20 um 11:22 schrieb Hartmut
Haberland:<br>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" lang="FR">Et si l'article porte sur le grec moderne, il doit
souvent se référer à la tradition grammaticale grecque
(Tzartzanos) ou française (Roussel, Mirambel).
</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" lang="EN-US">Restricting oneself to discourses in
<i>one</i> language is myopic. Most linguists really need to
read more than just two or three languages to keep up with
the relevant literature, but how many do?<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" lang="EN-US">(Robert E. Wall said in the famous McCawley
Festschrift, “More people can make out what it is about in
French than actually read it”.)<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" lang="EN-US">To take a concrete example:
<i>Acta Linguistica Hafniensia </i>was founded in 1939 and
its first issue contained papers in German, French and
English. Today, it still calls itself an ‘international
journal’, but now practically all papers are in English,
with very few exceptions. However, if you take a random
issue (51(1), May 2019), apart from one paper specifically
dealing with English, there are references to literature in
German, French, Greek, Norwegian, and Swedish. So linguists
are at least not passively monolingual.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" lang="EN-US">Hartmut Haberland
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Fra:</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">
Lingtyp
<a href="mailto:lingtyp-bounces@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank"><lingtyp-bounces@listserv.linguistlist.org></a>
<b>På vegne af </b>Nigel Vincent<br>
<b>Sendt:</b> 26. juni 2020 10:04<br>
<b>Til:</b> Wiemer, Bjoern <a href="mailto:wiemerb@uni-mainz.de" target="_blank"><wiemerb@uni-mainz.de></a>;
Gilles Authier <a href="mailto:gilles.authier@gmail.com" target="_blank"><gilles.authier@gmail.com></a><br>
<b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br>
<b>Emne:</b> Re: [Lingtyp] languages of scholarship<u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black">Et
si l'article est sur une langue romane mais les références
jugées indispensables sont écrites en allemand ou en
danois … ?<u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">Professor
Nigel Vincent, FBA MAE<br>
Professor Emeritus of General
& Romance Linguistics<br>
The University of Manchester<u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">Linguistics
& English Language<br>
School of Arts, Languages and
Cultures<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">The
University of Manchester<u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif"><a href="https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/researchers/nigel-vincent(f973a991-8ece-453e-abc5-3ca198c869dc).html" target="_blank">https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/researchers/nigel-vincent(f973a991-8ece-453e-abc5-3ca198c869dc).html</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<div id="gmail-m_-3013820845870246594divRplyFwdMsg">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black">
Wiemer, Bjoern <<a href="mailto:wiemerb@uni-mainz.de" target="_blank">wiemerb@uni-mainz.de</a>><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, June 26, 2020 9:44 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Gilles Authier <<a href="mailto:gilles.authier@gmail.com" target="_blank">gilles.authier@gmail.com</a>>;
Nigel Vincent <<a href="mailto:nigel.vincent@manchester.ac.uk" target="_blank">nigel.vincent@manchester.ac.uk</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>
<<a href="mailto:lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> AW: [Lingtyp] languages of scholarship</span>
<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" lang="DE">Je pense que oui… Actually, the same applies
to articles on (a language from) other language groups
(e.g., Slavic) or subgroups (e.g., Scandinavian)…</span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" lang="DE">BW</span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)" lang="DE"> </span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" lang="DE">Von:</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" lang="DE"> Lingtyp [<a href="mailto:lingtyp-bounces@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">mailto:lingtyp-bounces@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>]
<b>Im Auftrag von </b>Gilles Authier<br>
<b>Gesendet:</b> Freitag, 26. Juni 2020 09:35<br>
<b>An:</b> Nigel Vincent <<a href="mailto:nigel.vincent@manchester.ac.uk" target="_blank">nigel.vincent@manchester.ac.uk</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br>
<b>Betreff:</b> Re: [Lingtyp] languages of scholarship</span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span lang="DE"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<div>
<p><span lang="DE">Si l'article est sur
une langue romane et que les références jugées
indispensables sont écrites dans une langue romane, il
me semblerait devoir être rejeté, oui.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<div>
<p><span lang="DE">GA<u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
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<p><span lang="DE"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p><span lang="DE">On Fri, Jun 26,
2020 at 7:52 AM Nigel Vincent <<a href="mailto:nigel.vincent@manchester.ac.uk" target="_blank">nigel.vincent@manchester.ac.uk</a>>
wrote:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black" lang="DE">A related question to Ian's that I
have sometimes thought about concerns the
languages a researcher should be able to read in
order to access relevant scholarship. Should,
for example, a paper be rejected or revisions
asked for if someone writing in English on a
general linguistic topic has not cited relevant
work written in a language other than English?</span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
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<p><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black" lang="DE">Nigel</span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
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<p><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black" lang="DE"> </span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black" lang="DE"> </span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div id="gmail-m_-3013820845870246594x_gmail-m_6533340619243963283Signature">
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="DE">Professor
Nigel Vincent, FBA MAE<br>
Professor Emeritus of
General & Romance
Linguistics<br>
The University of
Manchester</span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="DE"> </span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="DE">Linguistics
& English Language<br>
School of Arts,
Languages and Cultures</span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="DE">The
University of
Manchester</span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="DE"> </span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="DE"> </span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="DE"> </span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif" lang="DE"><a href="https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/researchers/nigel-vincent(f973a991-8ece-453e-abc5-3ca198c869dc).html" target="_blank">https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/researchers/nigel-vincent(f973a991-8ece-453e-abc5-3ca198c869dc).html</a></span><span lang="DE"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p><span lang="DE">_______________________________________________<br>
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</blockquote>
<br>
<pre cols="72">--
Martin Haspelmath (<a href="mailto:haspelmath@shh.mpg.de" target="_blank">haspelmath@shh.mpg.de</a>)
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Kahlaische Strasse 10
D-07745 Jena
&
Leipzig University
Institut fuer Anglistik
IPF 141199
D-04081 Leipzig</pre>
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</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div>Prof Peter K. Austin</div><div>Emeritus Professor in Field Linguistics, SOAS</div><div>Visiting Researcher, Oxford University</div><div>Foundation Editor, EL Publishing</div><div>Honorary Treasurer, Philological Society</div><div><br>Department of Linguistics, SOAS<br>Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square<br>London WC1H 0XG<br>United Kingdom<br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>