Areal Linguistics & Chinese

[Lyle Campbell]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
        I'm writing to ask if for help for a student of mine with thesis
research she wants to undertake.  She is Sanja Brankof, an exceptional
student (native speaker of Serbian and Hungarian, nearly native English,
excellent Russian [her home language with her husband], and excellent
Chinese -- she taught English and Linguistics in China (PR) for seven
years, has a degree in Chinese linguistics and another in regular
linguistics).  She wants to explore possible areal linguistic traits
involving Chinese and its neighbors (especially northern ones).  Since our
library is so limited, I'd like to ask for help with the following.
(1) Do you think the project is viable?  (Discovering areal traits,
defining the linguistic area and the nature of the diffusion in it).  Do
you have any advice for what to do, not do?
(2) Do you know of relevant bibliography which addresses diffusion among
Chinese and any of its neighbors, especially northern ones?
(3) What general advice do you have for Sanja concerning where she may find
useful information on the structure of the languages for which we have less
material available here:  Manchu, Tungusic, Gilyak (Nivkh), Mongolian
(Buriat, etc.), Turkic (especially Uighur, Kazakh, Kirgiz, Uzbek, Tatar,
others in contact with Chinese), Bao(an), and other relevant ones.  (We
have pretty good materials on Japanese, Korean, and Ainu, but anything
especially relevant here, too, would be valuable to hear about.)
(4) If you has written any papers yourself that might be relevant, could
you send a copy?
        With many thanks in advance and with best wishes, Lyle
 
 
 
Dr. Lyle Campbell (Professor)
Dept. of Linguistics
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand
Fax:   64-3-364-2969
Phone: 64-3-364-2242