30.1890, Calls: Anthropological Linguistics/France

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-30-1890. Sun May 05 2019. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 30.1890, Calls: Anthropological Linguistics/France

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Date: Sun, 05 May 2019 23:55:06
From: Elise Mignot [Elise.Mignot at sorbonne-universite.fr]
Subject: Arbitrariness and Motivation

 
Full Title: Arbitrariness and Motivation 

Date: 10-Oct-2019 - 12-Oct-2019
Location: Paris, France 
Contact Person: Elise Mignot
Meeting Email: Elise.Mignot at sorbonne-universite.fr

Linguistic Field(s): Anthropological Linguistics 

Call Deadline: 15-Jul-2019 

Meeting Description:

Organized by Sorbonne Université (CeLiSo), Université Grenoble Alpes
(LIDILEM), Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (ALTER),  Université de
Perpignan Via Domitia (CRESEM), with the financial support of ALAES
(Association des linguistes anglicistes de l’enseignement supérieur), École
doctorale V (Concepts et Langages) of Sorbonne Université, the Faculty of
Letters of Sorbonne Université, and the resarch teams ALTER (Université de Pau
et des Pays de l’Adour), CeLiSo (Sorbonne Université), CRESEM (Université de
Perpignan Via Domitia), LIDILEM (Université Grenoble Alpes).

The conference aims to examine the related notions of arbitrariness and
motivation in language. There is no consensus in the linguistic community on
these issues, which are rarely at the forefront of discussions.

Motivation can initially be defined as the situation where a linguistic form
resembles what it refers to (Cratylus's position on the relationship between
words and things in Plato's eponymous dialogue). More generally, beyond the
case of iconicity, ''motivation'' is synonymous with ''non-arbitrary
relationship''.

After Saussure, the arbitrary nature of the sign started to be thought of as
the norm. No motivated links are seen between language productions and the
extra-linguistic reality. It seems that nowadays the prevailing view is that
arbitrariness is the rule.

However, Saussure himself mentions a ''relative arbitrariness'', i.e. a
certain motivation, within a linguistic system:

Only some of the signs are absolutely arbitrary; in others there is a
phenomenon that makes it possible to recognize degrees of arbitrariness,
without removing it: a sign can be relatively motivated. (Saussure 1967:
180-181).

For example, the noun ''apple tree'' certainly does not resemble the thing
denoted, but is nevertheless motivated (as opposed to arbitrary), in that we
understand the reason behind the denomination (i.e. the relationship with the
noun ''apple''). This paves the way to taking into account the construction of
meaning, at least at the word level.

How do we talk about motivation today? Are there any forms of motivation other
than those mentioned above? Some researchers explore the possibly motivated
relationship between meaning and form (looking at e.g. the order of
constituents, the motivation of lexical classes, the relationship between
grammatical categories and the conceptualization of the world). Positing these
kinds of motivation does not necessarily involve identifying universals; on
the contrary, it allows for the specificity of languages.

Questions to be addressed may include but are not limited to:

- What are the theoretical positions of the various linguistics schools on
these issues?
- Are there syntactic constructions, grammatical or lexical categories, that
are motivated?
- Are all syntactic constructions, as well as grammatical and lexical
categories, motivated?
- What are the types of motivation? (Similarity? Traces of the construction of
meaning? Others?)
- In a seemingly paradoxical way, could we argue that arbitrariness itself is
motivated, in the sense that it is necessary in linguistic systems? What is
arbitrariness?

All languages can be studied and compared.
The languages of the conference will be French and English.

Keynote Speakers:
John Haiman, Macalester College, USA
Bencie Woll, University College London, UK


Call for Papers:

Proposals of around 300 words, together with a short bio, should be sent to
both Elise Mignot (Elise.Mignot at sorbonne-universite.fr) and Julie Neveux
(Julie.Neveux at sorbonne-universite.fr), in French or in English.

The languages of the conference will be English and French.
Selected papers will be considered for publication.




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LINGUIST List: Vol-30-1890	
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