21.1544, Calls: Ling Theories, Semantics, Typology/Finland

Tue Mar 30 17:54:49 UTC 2010

LINGUIST List: Vol-21-1544. Tue Mar 30 2010. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 21.1544, Calls: Ling Theories, Semantics, Typology/Finland

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1)
Date: 29-Mar-2010
From: Maarit Niemela < maarit.h.niemela at oulu.fi >
Subject: Re-Thinking Synonymy: Semantic Sameness and Similarity in Languages and their Description

-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:51:26
From: Maarit Niemela [maarit.h.niemela at oulu.fi]
Subject: Re-Thinking Synonymy: Semantic Sameness and Similarity in Languages and their Description

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Full Title: Re-Thinking Synonymy: Semantic Sameness and Similarity in 
Languages and their Description 

Date: 28-Oct-2010 - 30-Oct-2010
Location: Helsinki, Finland 
Contact Person: Seppo Kittilä
Meeting Email: synonymy-2010 at helsinki.fi
Web Site: http://www.linguistics.fi/synonymy/ 

Linguistic Field(s): Linguistic Theories; Semantics; Typology 

Call Deadline: 16-Apr-2010 

Meeting Description:

The Linguistic Association of Finland (SKY ry.) in co-operation with the
Department of General Linguistics at the University of Helsinki organize a
Conference on 'Re-thinking Synonymy', on October 28-30, 2010, at the 
premises of the University of Helsinki.

Confirmed invited speakers:
Dirk Geeraerts (University of Leuven)
Martin Haspelmath (MPI, Leipzig)
Beth Levin (Stanford University)

For more information, see:
http://www.linguistics.fi/synonymy/ 

Final Call for Papers

Re-Thinking Synonymy: Semantic Sameness and Similarity in Languages 
and their Description

SKY (The Linguistic Association of Finland) organizes a symposium 'Re-
thinking synonymy: semantic sameness and similarity in languages and their 
description' in Helsinki, October 28-30, 2010. The official website of the 
symposium, with the Call for Papers and other information (to be 
added/updated later), is found at: http://www.linguistics.fi/synonymy

Traditionally, synonymy refers to a situation where a language has two (or 
more) linguistic forms for expressing one meaning. Synonymy is by no 
means uncommon in languages, exemplified also by the large number of 
synonym dictionaries and thesauri. However, it is important to note that the 
existence or lack of synonymy is largely a matter of definition. On one hand, 
if we define synonymy as (very close) semantic similarity or (essentially) 
identical reference, it definitely exists to some extent in all languages. On 
the other hand, if we confine the notion to absolute synonymy (comprising 
not only reference, but also, for example, stylistic and sociolinguistic factors 
as well as contextual preferences), it becomes less clear whether synonymy 
really exists.

Many theories of grammar (such as Cognitive Grammar and some versions 
of Construction Grammar) do not acknowledge the concept of synonymy at 
all. Synonymy seems to militate against the expected relation of meaning 
and form: a difference in form should always and necessarily correspond to 
a difference in meaning. However, within these theories (and within 
linguistics in general), a recurring topic of study is lexical, constructional, 
functional and formal similarity. In addition, current research seems to steer 
clear of synonymy (and sameness), but at the same time puts a great deal 
of emphasis on similarities, e.g. when and why two or more constructions 
with seemingly similar meanings are used as each other's alternatives. But 
where does the boundary lie between the two, i.e. when do we cross over 
from synonymy to mere similarity, or vice versa, and, moreover, how 
different can two constructions or expressions be and yet still be considered 
similar in terms of their meaning/ function? Do all synonymous expressions 
share a common conceptual(abstract) schema, and are the formal 
differences merely 'coincidental'? What is the relation between these 
schemas and lexical (i.e. 'traditional') synonymy?

The idea of the symposium is to challenge linguists both to re-think the 
synonymy and sameness of linguistic expressions and to approach the 
concept of synonymy from a broader perspective. What we propose is that 
synonymy is best seen as sameness or similarity of forms and functions - 
whether words, constructions or syntactic structures - not only as a notion 
related to lexical semantics. For example, many languages, such as Finnish 
and Estonian, allow the expression of location through both cases and 
adpositions, and many languages have both intransitive and transitive 
reflexive forms; these expressions may be identical in meaning in certain 
contexts, but upon closer examination they also display differences.

In brief: Does a difference in form always correspond to a difference in 
meaning/function? If so, is there any justification for the validity of the notion 
of synonymy in linguistic description? If synonymy really exists on some 
level, do we need to broaden the concept of synonymy and if so, how? 
What does the way that synonymy has been studied tell us about language 
and, perhaps as interestingly, about linguistics?

We welcome contributions dealing with synonymy from various perspectives 
and backgrounds (including theoretical, empirical and experimental 
approaches), ranging  from studies of lexical, functional and formal 
synonymy to studies of synonymy within and across languages. Possible 
topics for talks include (but are by no means not restricted to) the following:

- The role of synonymy in linguistic theory
- Corpus-based studies of (lexical/functional) synonymy
- Psycholinguistic studies of synonymy/processing of synonymy
- Seemingly synonymous/similar categories across languages (e.g. dative, 
reflexive, person, tense, deixis etc.), comparability of functions across 
languages
- The role of synonymy in lexical typology: do 'identical' lexemes in different 
languages express identical/similar meanings?
- Translatability of lexemes
- The development of synonymy; competition of synonymous forms in 
grammaticalization/lexicalization
- Synonymy in different theories of grammar
- The relation between lexical ('traditional') synonymy and functional 
synonymy
- Potential differences between sameness and similarity; is the distinction 
meaningful or necessary?
- What does synonymy (at any level/in any form) reveal about language?
- What motivates the use of seemingly synonymous forms? Context, 
meaning, sociolinguistic factors, disambiguation, verbal semantics etc.
- The synonymy of syntactic structural variants (e.g. differences in 
comparative constructions)
- Synonymy of constructions within and across languages
- Semantic vs. pragmatic synonymy

The deadline for submission of abstracts (in English; max 500 words 
excluding data, tables and references) is April 16, 2010. Please submit your 
abstract by e-mail to the address of the organizing committee (synonymy-
2010 at helsinki.fi). Send your abstract as attachment to an e-mail message 
(in both .pdf and .doc formats). Please indicate clearly whether your 
abstract is intended as a poster or a section paper. The abstracts will be 
evaluated by the organizing committee and by the members of the scientific 
committee (see below). Participants will be notified about acceptance by 
May 15, 2010. 
The book of abstracts will be published on the web pages of the symposium
at: http://www.linguistics.fi/synonymy/abstracts.shtml

Body of the message should include the following information (preferably in 
this order):

Name of the participant
Title of presentation
Affiliation
E-mail address
Is the paper meant as a section paper or, a poster, or a workshop

Workshops:
The deadline for submitting workshop proposals was March 15.

Activities:
- Presentations by invited speakers
- Presentation by other participants
- Posters
- Workshops

Confirmed invited speakers:
Dirk Geeraerts (University of Leuven)
Martin Haspelmath (MPI, Leipzig)
Beth Levin (Stanford University)

Scientific committee:
Antti Arppe (University of Helsinki)
Peter Austin (SOAS, London)
Denis Creissels (University of Lyon)
Dagmar Divjak (University of Sheffield)
Adele Goldberg (Princeton University)
Stefan Gries (UCSB)
Tuomas Huumo (University of Tartu)
Laura Janda (University of Tromsø)
Jarmo Jantunen (University of Oulu)
Silvia Luraghi (University of Pavia)
Sally Rice (University of Alberta)
Anna Siewierska (University of Lancaster) Bernhard Wälchli (University of 
Berne)

Organizing committee:
Antti Arppe (University of Helsinki)
Seppo Kittilä (University of Helsinki)
Aki Kyröläinen (University of Turku)
Maarit Niemelä (University of Oulu)
Alexandre Nikolaev (University of Joensuu) Jouni Rostila (University of 
Tampere) Turo Vartiainen (University of Helsinki) Laura Visapää (University 
of Helsinki)

Conference venue:
University of Helsinki

Contact:
Please send all queries to synonymy-2010 at helsinki.fi

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