AFLA7 in Amsterdam

[M.A.F. Klamer]

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CALL FOR PAPERS


AFLA VII
The Seventh Annual Meeting of the Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association
Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands11-13 May 2000
Abstract deadline: 1 February 2000

Invited speakers confirmed so far:
I Wayan Arka  (Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia), Ellen Broselow (SUNY,
Stony Brook), Adrian Clynes (Universiti Brunei Darussalam)
William Foley (Sydney University), Harry van der Hulst (Leiden University)

Abstracts are invited for 30 minute talks (20 minute presentations  + 10
minute question period) on any aspect of formal linguistics (e.g., phonology,
phonetics, semantics, morphology, language acquisition, language contact) of
any Austronesian language. Applicants are limited to one singly-authored and
one jointly-authored abstract.

Abstracts relating to this year's main themes (see below) are particularly
encouraged, though abstracts on other topics will also be considered.


SPECIAL AWARD
An award of US$500 will be granted to an Austronesianist from Irian Jaya.


MAIN THEMES
This year, the conference will have two main themes, the first of which is of
a more morpho-syntactic nature: Argument Marking.

The second theme is Iconicity. This theme is more phonological and/or
semantic, though presentations relating to syntactic or morphological
iconicity are also very welcome.

Both themes may be approached from a synchronic and diachronic perspective.


(i) ARGUMENT MARKING IN AUSTRONESIAN

Ergativity:
To which extend does the language have ergative characteristics? If it has
split/fluid intransitivity, how should this be formally accounted for? Is
there evidence of diachronic change from an abs-erg system to a nom-acc
system, or vice versa?
(N.B. The working definition of ergativity to be used used here is: The
identical morpho-syntactic marking of the single argument of intransitive
predicates and the complement of transitive predicates (S=O), versus a
different morpho-syntactic marking of the agent of transitive predicates
(A)).

Nominalisation:
What is the nature of mixed syntactic categories in Austronesian languages
(e.g., CP/IP, or IP/NP)?
If a language has 'precategorical' roots, what does this imply for formal
theories that take e.g. the Noun-Verb distinction as fundamental?
How should the surface homophony between finite forms and nominalised forms
in especially the Eastern Austronesian languages be formally accounted for?

Argument--non argument status:
What is the role of referential specificity or grammatical definiteness in
determining argument status in the language?
In case the language has double argument marking, which element marks the
argument: the pronoun/pronominal clitic/affix, the full NP, or combinations
of the two, and how do the two relate?
What is the syntactic status of the (optionally) dropped element? Is this
type of pro-drop always licensed by rich morphology, and if not, how should
the drop be licensed?
Are there languages that, in addition to the classic typology of arguments
vs. adjuncts, have elements occupying an intermediate status, and what are
the theoretical implications thereof?

Phonology-syntax interaction


(ii) ICONICITY

Does the language have lexical items displaying sound-meaning relations that
are not arbitrary (e.g. onomatopeics, ideophones, special words for sense
impressions, nicknames, terms of endearment, etc.), Or are there other
non-arbitrary/iconic links between structure and semantics, at the level of
morphology or syntax?
How may we characterise these items in structural and semantic terms?
What are the model-theoretic implications of a direct link between structure
and semantics as exhibited by such iconic elements? What, for example, are
the implications of the existence of such lexical elements for a theory of
the lexicon, e.g., do different lexical strata have their own phonology, and
how are these phonologies related to each other and to semantics?


ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Abstracts should be one page long, with an additional page for data or
references. Submissions may be made by regular mail or email. We intend to
publish a selection of the papers as conference Proceedings.

To submit an abstract by regular mail, send 3 anonymous copies of the abract
to the address below. Also include an index card bearing your name,
affiliation, mailing and email address,  the subdiscipline of your abstract
(phonology, syntax, etc.) and status (student or non-student).

For submissions by email, send one copy of your abtract in the body of an
email message (please avoid attachments), along with your name, addresses,
subdiscipline, and status to:

afla at let.vu.nl

For more information, please contact this email address, or write to the
address below.

DEADLINE for receipt of abstracts: February 1, 2000


AFLA VII, c/o Marian Klamer
Linguistics
Vrije Universiteit
De Boelelaan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands

ORGANISING COMMITTEE
Geert Booij, Aone van Engelenhoven, Rob Goedemans, Marian Klamer, Bert
Remijsen, Hein Steinhauer, Ruben Stoel, Lourens de Vries


This conference is made possible with the support of: the Faculty of Arts of
the Free University in Amsterdam, the Holland Institute of generative
Linguistics (HIL), the International Institute of Asian Studies (IIAS), the
Irian Jaya Studies project (ISIR) and the School of Asian, African and
Amerindian Studies (CNWS) of Leiden University, the Royal Dutch Academy of
Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and the Netherlands Foundation of Scientific
Research (NWO).