ALT News 12
Johan.VanDerAuwera
auwera at uia.ua.ac.be
Tue Jun 11 14:04:10 UTC 1996
ALT News 12
June 1996
Contents: 1. In memoriam Sigrid Plank
2. ALT
2.1. Typology and Naturalness
2.2. Modality
2.3. ALT II
3. Endangered languages
3.1. The Language Documentation Urgency List
3.2. The Foundation for Endangered Languages
3.3. TERRALINGUA
3.4. International Clearing House for Endangered Languages
3.5. LSA Committee on Endangered Languages and Their
Preservation
4. Jobs
4.1. Manchester
4.2. Pisa
1. In memoriam Sigrid Plank
Many of you will know that Frans Plank was responsible for much of the
previous ALT News and, indeed, for ALT itself. This issue of the News
will have to do without his help. On Wednesday June 29 Sigrid Plank
passed away. Many of us who know Frans also knew Sigrid. Some of us met
her during Frans's frequent trips, on which Sigrid was a constant
companion; others got to enjoy her hospitality in the Planks' home,
which for the last ten years has been the friendly apartment on
Jacob-Burckhardt-Strasse in Konstanz. Talking to Sigrid was always an
enriching and heart-warming experience: she had a keen sense of art,
nature and scholarship, and a genuine interest in and love for people.
All of us who were her friends will miss her and keep her in loving
memory.
2. ALT
2.1. Typology and Naturalness
At the SLE meeting at Klagenfurt (Austria) on September 4-8, 1996, whose
general theme is "Universals vs Preferences", a workshop will be
organized by Bernhard Hurch (hurch at bkfug.kfunigraz.ac.at) and Gertraud
Fenk-Oczlon (Sprachwissenschaft, Universitaet Klagenfurt,
Universitaetsstrasse 65-67, A-9020 Klagenfurt, Austria, Tel +43-463-2700
346, Fax +43-463-2700 351), in association with ALT, on the subject of
"Typology and Naturalness". The preliminary program is available from
the organizers.
2.2. Modality
An ALT Regional Workshop on modality in the world's languages will take
place at the University of Antwerp, 8-9 November 1996 (Fri-Sat). Send
your one-page abstract to Johan van der Auwera by
JULY 1 1996
============
Indicate the amount of time you would need (20, 30, 40 minutes + 10
minutes for discussion). So far some ten to fifteen declarations of
interest have been received.
2.3. ALT II
You will remember that the Executive Committee found Edith Moravcsik and
her colleagues happy to organize the 1997 International ALT Conference,
"ALT II" at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, from Thursday 11 to
Sunday 14 September 1997. During the Functionalism/Formalism conference
a few weeks ago, also at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a number
of people contemplated a change of venue. The University of Oregon
(Eugene) is planning to hold to conference on "External Possession"
("Possessor Raising", "Dative of Interest", etc) in the Fall of 1997,
and it seemed that it could be an advantage to have both ALT II and the
External Possession Conference in the same place and immediately after
one another. At this moment the Executive Commitee is conferring both
with the linguists from Eugene and those from Milwaukee and aims to
reach a decision before the summer, so that we can effectively "call for
papers" at the end of June. One thing the Executive Committee is most
reluctant to change, however, is the timing.
2.4. Linguistic Typology
Frans cannot report on the journal, but this much is clear. Papers have
now been accepted and Volume 1, Issue 1 is to appear as scheduled. Issue
2 is in the making as well. It goes without saying but we will say it
anyway: Linguistic Typology should live longer than two issues. Do
continue sending manuscripts to Frans:
Frans Plank
Sprachwissenschaft
Universitaet Konstanz
Postfach 5560 D175
D-78434 Konstanz
Germany
frans.plank at uni-konstanz.de
fax: +49-7531-882741
4. Endangered languages
Over the last few months and weeks several initiatives concerned with
endangered languages took shape. Below are abbreviated reports.
4.1.
Announcing LDUL: The Language Documentation Urgency List
LDUL is an automatic mailbox and database for the collection and
retrieval of information on how urgently the individual languages of
this world are in need of documentation. The aim is to help in the
decision of where to focus fieldwork and in the writing of proposals for
fund raising purposes.
Overall documentation urgency (DU) is measured as the average of six
special documentation urgencies in phonology, morphology, lexicon, text
corpus, syntax, and semantics/pragmatics. These in turm are measured as
overall degree of endangerment times special degree of documentation
need, where endangerment is the inverse of estimated language vitality
and special documentation need is the inverse of the estimated
sufficiency of existing special documentation.
The language vitality score is calculated from eight different factors
such as age of youngest speaker, number of speakers, percentage of
monolingual speakers etc. (for details cf. the comments to the
demoquestionnaire.)
Background
==========
Most linguists know that the number of human languages in use is rapidly
decreasing. Estimates of the rate of disappearance vary between 12 and
50 a year. This means that up to 10% of the linguistic heritage of
humankind will be irretrievably lost by ten years from today and that
by the end of the coming century, less than 1000 of the current over
5000 languages will still be alive. It seems obvious that where it is
not possible to save these languages, they should at least not die
without leaving a trace, that is without being documented in a
satisfactory way.
This is not to deny that the task of saving the peoples who are
sometimes endangered together with their language is much more
important; it's just that this task is not specific to linguists! Those
who wish to participate in helping endangered peoples may contact
organizations like - Survival International, 310 Edgware Road, London
W2 1DY, UK; phone ++44-71-2421441, fax ++44-71-2421771, or -
Gesellschaft fuer bedrohte Voelker, Postfach 2024, D-37010 Goettingen;
phone ++49-551-499060, fax ++49-551-58028, e-mail:
gfbv-germany at oln.comlink.apc.org
Current activities
===================
The international community of linguists is not unaware of this
situation. To mention just a few activities:
- in January 1991 a special symposium entitled "Endangered Languages and
their Preservation" was held at the Annual Meeting of the LSA,
- in 1991 a volume on "Endangered Languages", edited by R.H. Robins and
E.M. Uhlenbeck, appeared (Berg, Oxford/New York),
- in March 1992 "Language" published a collection of essays in its vol.
68, and
- in August 1992 the XVth International Congress of Linguists devoted
a plenary session to this topic, both with the same title as the
Robins/Uhlenbeck volume,
- in October 1992 the working group 'endangered languages' of the DgfS
(German Linguistic Society) published an "Informationsbroschuere zur
Dokumentation von 'Bedrohten Sprachen'",
- in August/September 1993 the University of Cologne hosted a summer
school on language description and fieldwork,
- at its September 1993 meeting, the Linguistic Association of Great
Britain (LAGB) had a special session on Endangered Languages,
- in July 1994, a workshop on Language shift and maintenance in the
Asia-Pacific region was held at La Trobe University, Melbourne,
- on the 7 Sep 1994 Endangered-Languages-L electronic forum at ANU was
established (http://coombs.anu.edu.au/CoombsHome.html),
- at the January, 1995, LSA Meeting there was an organized session
called 'Field reports/Endangered Languages',
- in February 1995, there was a conference on Endangered Languages at
Dartmouth college, and for
- on April 21, 1995, the University of Bristol held a seminar on the
conservation of endangered languages.
- November 18-20, 1995, there was an International Symposion on
Endangered Languages at the newly founded ICHEL (International Clearing
House for Endangered Languages, U of Tokyo,
http://www.tooyoo.L.u-tokyo.ac.jp/).
What else can we do?
====================
Still, there remains a lot to be done. One central thing to do is FUND
RAISING: We have to talk politicians, institutions, responsible into
giving money not only for the preservation and documentation of species
of birds and insects, but also of cultures and languages. Note that
biologists (three joint societies) are demanding $3 billion a year
(sic!) for a documentation of biodiversity called Systematics Agenda
2000 (Nature, vol. 368, 3 March 1994, p.3). How much do we need for a
documentation of glotto- and ethnodiversity?
Another thing is to MOTIVATE linguists to do the necessary field work
once the money is available. This has to include a change in hiring
politics and CV-evaluation: Time spent for field work should count as
favorable for a candidate, and not the opposite.
And a third thing is to provide the motivated and funded linguist with
the necessary INFORMATION on where to go first, since he is in the
situation of a fire fighter when fire is all over the place. And this
is where the LINGUIST discussion list (with over 7200 subscribers, more
than 1.4 per existing language) and similar ones come into play.
The contribution of the Language Documentation Urgency List (LDUL)
==================================================================
The world-wide computer networks and especially the LINGUIST LIST have
turned the world's community of linguists (at least its electronically
accessible part, but via them a lot more) into a global village. And if
the inhabitants of this village join forces, it should be easy to solve
the third problem mentioned above using the pot luck party method:
Everybody who knows about a language in need of proper documentation or
in the process of disappearing throws his knowledge into a pool called
LDUL. This is an automatic electronic mailbox and database with the
following address:
ldul at cis.uni-muenchen.de
If you want to know more about LDUL, simply a message to this address
with the following entry under "Subject" (the message body may be empty,
or, if your mail system doesn't tolerate this, contain anything, it will
be ignored):
about LDUL
and you will receive all the information necessary to both contribute
to LDUL and to consult LDUL.
Dietmar Zaefferer
Institut fuer Deutsche Philologie Phone: +49 89 2180 2060 (office)
Universitaet Muenchen +49 89 2180 3819 (office)
Schellingstr. 3 +49 89 36 66 75 (home)
D-80799 Muenchen Fax: +49 89 2180 3871 (office)
Germany
Email: ue303bh at sunmail.lrz-muenchen.de
3.2.
Announcing the Foundation for Endangered Languages, and its Newsletter,
Iatiku
The Foundation for Endangered Languages, which began its life at a
meeting in London in January 1995, but was first publicised at the
University of Bristol Seminar on the Conservation of Endangered
Languages in April 1995, has now reached the stage of asking for
subscriptions. These will most immediately support the production and
distribution of the Newsletter, the fees for formal incorporation of the
Foundation as a charitable "Company Limited by Guarantee" in the UK.
We have, in fact, already received a request for a modest level of
support from the Livonian community (in Latvia, on the Baltic coast) for
support of a lexicographical project. This would neatly combine
community support with documentation.
There have in fact now been 6 meetings of the Foundation, the latest one
just before the LAGB meeting at the University of Sussex, in England,
on 11 April. The current Committee members are:
Nicholas Ostler President
Andrew Woodfield Secretary
Daniel Nettle Treasurer
Stephen May Publicity
Christopher Moseley Group Liaison
The Foundation is affiliated to the Philosophy Department at Bristol
University.
[...]
The Foundation's Manifesto
A. Preamble
A.1. The Present Situation
At this point in human history, most human languages are spoken by
exceedingly few people. And that majority, the majority of languages,
is about to vanish.
The most authoritative source on the languages of the world (Ethnologue,
Grimes 1992) lists just over 6,500 living languages. Population figures
are available for just over 6,000 of them (or 92%). Of these 6,000, it
may be noted that:
* 52% are spoken by fewer than 10,000 people;
* 28% by fewer than 1,000; and
* 83% are restricted to single countries,
and so are particularly exposed to the policies of a single
government.
At the other end of the scale, 10 major languages, each spoken by over
109 million people, are the mother tongues of almost half (49%) of the
world's population.
More important than this snapshot of proportions and populations is the
outlook for survival of the languages we have. Hard comparable data
here are scarce or absent, often because of the sheer variety of the
human condition: a small community, isolated or bilingual, may continue
for centuries to speak a unique language, while in another place a
populous language may for social or political reasons die out in little
more than a generation. Another reason is that the period in which
records have been kept is too short to document a trend: e.g. the
Ethnologue has been issued only since 1951. However, it is difficult to
imagine many communities sustaining serious daily use of a language for
even a generation with fewer than 100 speakers: yet at least 10% of the
world's living languages are now in this position.
Some of the forces which make for language loss are clear: the impacts
of urbanization, Westernization and global communications grow daily,
all serving to diminish the self-sufficiency and self-confidence of
small and traditional communities. Discriminatory policies, and
population movements also take their toll of languages.
In our era, the preponderance of tiny language communities means that
the majority of the world's languages are vulnerable not just to decline
but to extinction.
A.2. The Likely Prospect
There is agreement among linguists who have considered the situation
that over half of the world's languages are moribund, i.e. not
effectively being passed on to the next generation. We and our
children, then, are living at the point in human history where, within
perhaps two generations, most languages in the world will die out.
This mass extinction of languages may not appear immediately
life-threatening. Some will feel that a reduction in numbers of
languages will ease communication, and perhaps help build nations, even
global solidarity. But it has been well pointed out that the success
of humanity in colonizing the planet has been due to our ability to
develop cultures suited for survival in a variety of environments.
These cultures have everywhere been transmitted by languages, in oral
traditions and latterly in written literatures. So when language
transmission itself breaks down, especially before the advent of
literacy in a culture, there is always a large loss of inherited
knowledge.
Valued or not, that knowledge is lost, and humanity is the poorer. Along
with it may go a large part of the pride and self-identity of the
community of former speakers.
And there is another kind of loss, of a different type of knowledge. As
each language dies, science, in linguistics, anthropology, prehistory
and psychology, loses one more precious source of data, one more of the
diverse and unique ways that the human mind can express itself through
a language's structure and vocabulary.
We cannot now assess the full effect of the massive simplification of
the world's linguistic diversity now occurring. But language loss, when
it occurs, is sheer loss, irreversible and not in itself creative.
Speakers of an endangered language may well resist the extinction of
their traditions, and of their linguistic identity. They have every
right to do so. And we, as scientists, or concerned human beings, will
applaud them in trying to preserve part of the diversity which is one
of our greatest strengths and treasures.
A.3. The Need for an Organization
We cannot stem the global forces which are at the root of language
decline and loss.
But we can work to lessen the ignorance which sees language loss as
inevitable when it is not, and does not properly value all that will go
when a language itself vanishes.
We can work to see technological developments, such as computing and
telecommunications, used to support small communities and their
traditions rather than to supplant them.
And we can work to lessen the damage:
* by recording as much as possible of the languages of communities
which seem to be in terminal decline;
* by emphasizing particular benefits of the diversity still
remaining; and
* by promoting literacy and language maintenance programmes, to
increase the strength and morale of the users of languages in danger.
In order to further these aims, there is a need for an autonomous
international organization which is not constrained or influenced by
matters of race, politics, gender or religion. This organization will
recognise in language issues the principles of self-determination, and
group and individual rights. It will pay due regard to economic, social,
cultural, community and humanitarian considerations. Although it may
work with any international, regional or local Authority, it will retain
its independence throughout. Membership will be open to those in all
walks of life.
B. Aims and Objectives
The Foundation for Endangered Languages exists to support, enable and
assist the documentation, protection and promotion of endangered
languages. In order to do this, it aims:-
(i) To raise awareness of endangered languages, both inside and
outside the communities where they are spoken, through all channels and
media;
(ii) To support the use of endangered languages in all contexts: at
home, in education, in the media, and in social, cultural and economic
life;
(iii) To monitor linguistic policies and practices, and to seek to
influence the appropriate authorities where necessary;
(iv) To support the documentation of endangered languages, by
offering financial assistance, training, or facilities for the
publication of results;
(v) To collect together and make available information of use in the
preservation of endangered languages;
(vi) To disseminate information on all of the above activities as
widely as possible.
Address for correspondence:
Nicholas Ostler
President, Foundation for Endangered Languages
Batheaston Villa, 172 Bailbrook Lane
Bath BA1 7AA England
tel +44-1225-85-2865
fax +44-1225-85-9258
e-mail nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk
3.3. Announcing TERRALINGUA
Terralingua: Partnerships for Linguistic and Biological Diversity
*A new international nonprofit organization devoted to preserving the
world's linguistic diversity and to investigating links between cultural
and biological diversity*
The idea for Terralingua took shape at a Symposium on Language Loss held
at the University of New Mexico in 1995. At that meeting, a small group
of volunteers formed an Ad Hoc Organizing Committee. The Committee then
spent the next several months drafting a Call for Interest / Statement
of Purpose, which was sent to a number of e-mail lists in December 1995.
In April 1996 this Prospectus was completed and sent to all those who
had responded to the Call for Interest.
[...]
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Terralingua: Partnerships for Linguistic and Biological Diversity
A. Terralingua recognizes:
1. That the diversity of languages and their variant forms is a vital
part of the world's cultural diversity;
2. That cultural diversity and biological diversity are not only
related, but often inseparable; and
3. That, like biological species, many languages and their variant forms
around the world are now faced with an extinction crisis whose magnitude
may well prove very large.
B. Terralingua declares:
4. That every language, along with its variant forms, is inherently
valuable and therefore worthy of being preserved and perpetuated,
regardless of its political, demographic, or linguistic status;
5. That deciding which language to use, and for what purposes, is a
basic human right inhering to members of the community of speakers now
using the language or whose ancestors traditionally used it; and
6. That such usage decisions should be freely made in an atmosphere of
tolerance and reciprocal respect for cultural distinctiveness-a
condition that is a prerequisite for increased mutual understanding
among the world's peoples and a recognition of our common humanity.
C. Therefore, Terralingua sets forth the following goals:
7. To help preserve and perpetuate the world's linguistic diversity in
all its variant forms (languages, dialects, pidgins, creoles, sign
languages, languages used in rituals, etc.) through research, programs
of public education, advocacy, and community support.
8. To learn about languages and the knowledge they embody from the
communities of speakers themselves, to encourage partnerships between
community-based language/cultural groups and scientific/professional
organizations who are interested in preserving cultural and biological
diversity, and to support the right of communities of speakers to
language self-determination.
9. To illuminate the connections between cultural and biological
diversity by establishing working relationships with
scientific/professional organizations and individuals who are interested
in preserving cultural diversity (such as linguists, educators,
anthropologists, ethnologists, cultural workers, native advocates,
cultural geographers, sociologists, and so on) and those who are
interested in preserving biological diversity (such as biologists,
botanists, ecologists, zoologists, physical geographers,
ethnobiologists, ethnoecologists, conservationists, environmental
advocates, natural resource managers, and so on), thus promoting the
joint preservation and perpetuation of cultural and biological
diversity.
10. To work with all appropriate entities in both the public and private
sectors, and at all levels from the local to the international, to
accomplish the foregoing.
For further information contact:
Terralingua
ATTN: David Harmon, Secretary-Treasurer
P.O. Box 122
Hancock, Michigan 49930-0122 USA
e-mail: gws at mail.portup.com
3.4. International Clearing House for Endangered Languages
UNESCO's Endangered Languages Project supports efforts to document dying
languages which are then recorded in the UNESCO Red Book On Endangered
Languages. The University of Tokyo's Department of Asian and Pacific
Linguistics in the Institute of Cross-Cultural Studies is cooperating
with these efforts by maintaining the International Clearing House for
Endangered Languages. For links to both the Clearing House and the
UNESCO Red Book, connect to
http://www.tooyoo.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/
3.5. LSA Committee on Endangered Languages and Their Preservation
The Linguistic Society of America has set up a "Commitee on Endangered
Languages and Their Preservation". One of its purposes is to compile a
comprehensive list of the endangered languages of the world, the state
of their vitality, and the nature and goals of current work on them.
Contact Akira Yamamoto, Dept of Anthropology, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-2110. Fax:+1-913-864-4225.
4. Jobs
4.1
The University of Manchester
Department of Linguistics
Research Assistant/Associate
The post, available for a period of up to ten months from October 1996
or as soon as possible thereafter, will be as Research
Assistant/Associate to the 'Typology of Attributive Constructions'
project directed by Dr William Croft. The project will involve the
collection of cross-linguistic data concerning the structure, use and
historical development of attributive constructions.
Previous research on attributive constructions is not required, but a
keen interest in examining reference grammars and texts of genetically
and geographically diverse languages is expected. Candidates, with or
without a doctorate, who possess the relevant skills are encouraged to
apply. Salary in the range 14317-15986 pounds sterling per annum.
Further particulars and application forms (returnable by 25 June 1996)
are available from the Director of Personnel, The University of
Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom (tel.: 0161 275 2028,
minicom 0161 275 7889; fax: 0161 275 2221), quoting ref.no.286/96.
As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the University welcomes applications
from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community,
regardless of race, religion, gender or disability.
Promoting quality teaching and research.
***
Additional information:
1. The per annum salary figure in the advertisement will be prorated to
the length of time of the appointment.
2. Candidates who are not citizens of the European Union will require
a work permit in order to take up this post.
3. Further information may be obtained by contacting Dr W Croft (before
15 June: w.croft at man.ac.uk; tel.: 0161 275 3188; fax: 0161 275 3187;
after 15 June: croft at mpi.nl).
(Note that to telephone/fax from outside the UK, remove the 0 and prefix
44.)
4.2.
The Scuola Normale Superiore is announcing that, beginning on 1/1/97,
there will be 3 doctoral scholarships for FOREIGN POSTGRADUATE students
who intend to carry on studies in the following fields: Linguistics,
Classical Philology, Italian Literature & Philology (as well as History
of Arts, Philosophy, History). Each scholarship lasts 3 years, and
involves free lodging, plus a monthly salary. The output should be the
defense of a dissertation in front of an international committee. The
dead-line for the application is 30/9/96. In case you know of anybody
who might be interested in this program, s/he could write for more
detailed information (concerning how to assemble the application) to:
Segreteria Studenti, Scuola Normale Superiore (see the address below).
If the relevant person has linguistic interests, I would appreciate
direct contact, in order to be acquainted with her/his project of
research.
Pier Marco Bertinetto
Scuola Normale Superiore
p.za dei Cavalieri 7
I-56126 PISA
Italy
tel. ++39/(0)50/509111
fax: ++39/(0)50/563513
Johan van der Auwera Bernard Comrie
Linguistiek (GER) Linguistics, GFS-301
Universiteit Antwerpen University of Southern California
(UIA) Los Angeles,
B-2610 Antwerpen CA 90089-1693
Belgium USA
auwera at uia.ua.ac.be comrie at bcf.usc.edu
fax: +32-3-8202762 fax: +1-213-740-9306
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