6.1201, Qs: AUX-drop, Hebrew Search, Neologisms, Adverbial Clauses

[The Linguist List]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-1201. Sun Sep 3 1995.  ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines:
 
Subject: 6.1201, Qs: AUX-drop, Hebrew Search, Neologisms, Adverbial Clauses
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Associate Editor:  Ljuba Veselinova <lveselin at emunix.emich.edu>
Assistant Editors: Ron Reck <rreck at emunix.emich.edu>
                   Ann Dizdar <dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
                   Annemarie Valdez <avaldez at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Software development: John H. Remmers <remmers at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Editor for this issue:  <remmers at emunix.emich.edu (John H. Remmers)>
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           REMINDER
[We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually
best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is
then  strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list.   This policy was
instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we
would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.]
-------------------------Directory---------------------------------------------
1)
Date:    Thu, 31 Aug 1995 22:26:25 EDT
From:    Vincent DeCaen <decaen at epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Q? "AUX-drop"
 
2)
Date:    Fri, 01 Sep 1995 14:23:07 EDT
From:    satina <SANZIAN at UNIVSCVM.CSD.SCAROLINA.EDU>
Subject: hebrew search
 
3)
Date:    Sat, 02 Sep 1995 09:59:27 +1000
From:    Michael Sawer <msa at comserver.canberra.edu.au>
Subject: Neologisms
 
4)
Date:    Sat, 02 Sep 1995 14:42:38 -0000
From:    Carsten.Breul at rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
 <Carsten.Breul at rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de>
Subject: Query: Adv. clauses as predicative complements?
 
-------------------------Messages----------------------------------------------
1)
Date:    Thu, 31 Aug 1995 22:26:25 EDT
From:    Vincent DeCaen <decaen at epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Q? "AUX-drop"
 
I'm wondering if someone can point me to literature on what I've been
calling "AUX-drop" or to examples in other languages.  you get it in
Biblical Hebrew in the AUX "to be", root hyy.  Hebrew otherwise makes
a binary tense/aspect contrast; but in the AUX you can get zero,
creating a three-way distinction, in which case the nonpast/imperf is
generally read as "future":
 
yiktob "he writes, etc"
katab "he wrote, etc"
vs.
yihye "he will be"      *yihye koteb "he will be writing"
hu 0 "he is" [hu "he"]  hu 0 koteb "he is writing"
haya "he was"           haya koteb "he was writing"
 
now, what is of interest to me is the way this 3<2 distinction can
also get grammaticalized, as apparently in the Classical systems.
 
Latin (3s) amaa-b-(i)t  amaaw-er-(i)t   cf. Greek (pt) lu-s-(o)nt-
        ama-0-t         amaaw-0-(i)t                    lu-0-(o)nt-
        amaa-ba-t       amaaw-era-t                     lu-sa-nt-
 
         < AUX *b-        < AUX *er-<*es-         < AUX *s- (??)
 
I've gotten the impression that this is not an isolated phenomenon.
Any help at all in pursuing this idea will be greatly appreciated.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2)
Date:    Fri, 01 Sep 1995 14:23:07 EDT
From:    satina <SANZIAN at UNIVSCVM.CSD.SCAROLINA.EDU>
Subject: hebrew search
 
Hello
   I am a grad student at USC-Columbia.  I am looking for a computer-
based interactive course to learn Hebrew.  I used to be fluent and
need a brush up.  I work in the language lab and therefore have
access to the required hardware to run CD/LDs.  Any out there?
Toda raba.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3)
Date:    Sat, 02 Sep 1995 09:59:27 +1000
From:    Michael Sawer <msa at comserver.canberra.edu.au>
Subject: Neologisms
 
Dear Colleagues,
 
Recently I've been researching neologisms which have come into Mandarin=
 Chinese since 1978 (particularly 1990-1994) and have just had an=
 introductory article on this subject accepted for publication in=
 the Australian Review of Applied Linguistics (the journal of the=
 Applied Linguistics Association of Australia).
 
I'm now working on another article which will not only look at a=
 larger corpus of Mandarin neologisms, analysing their structure,=
 origin and so on, but will also look at the ways in which neologisms=
 are formed in general, including in other languages (compounding,=
 abbreviating, borrowing et cet.), examine the impulses behind the=
 creation of neologisms and so on.=20
 
Two sources on recent English neologisms I've found especially useful=
 in this context are the following:=20
Algeo, J. (ed.) (1991) Fifty years among the new words: a dictionary=
 of neologisms, 1941-1991. Cambridge et cet., Cambridge University=
 Press.
Tulloch, S. (comp.) (1991) The Oxford dictionary of new words.  Oxford=
 and New York, Oxford University Press.
 
Neither of these works is simply a listing of neologisms and their=
 meanings - they also go quite some way towards addressing the other=
 issues I've raised above.
 
My request to fellow Linguist Listees is: do you know of comparable=
 analytical books or articles (ie more than just glossaries or lists)=
 for French,=20
German, or Japanese?.Also do you know of other good recent works=
 on English neologisms?
 
If your answers might be of general interest could you post them=
 to the=20
Linguist List, or otherwise send them to me personally?
 
Many thanks in advance
 
Michael Sawer
 
**************************************************************************
(Dr) Michael Sawer=20
Associate Professor in Modern Languages and Chinese Discipline Convenor=
=20
Modern Languages Program, Faculty of Communication, University of=
 Canberra=20
PO Box One Belconnen ACT 2616 AUSTRALIA Tel:61-6-2015192  Fax:61-6-2015119
**************************************************************************
 
 
 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4)
Date:    Sat, 02 Sep 1995 14:42:38 -0000
From:    Carsten.Breul at rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
 <Carsten.Breul at rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de>
Subject: Query: Adv. clauses as predicative complements?
 
Dear linguists,
 
I wonder about the acceptability of sentences of the form
 
    NP be(3rd pers.) finite adverbial S,
 
i.e., sentences where finite adverbial clauses function as
predicative complements of the copula 'be'.
 
For example, are the following sentences acceptable?
 
(1) My first visit to Oberammergau in Bavaria was while I
    was at Tatsfield.
 
(2) The return of Colmore's power and control was not until
    he had been at his desk for a half-hour.
 
(3) Our special interest both in education and selection is
    because democratic ideals and economic needs put a
    premium on the emergence of ability.
 
I see a certain structural similarity between these
sentences and pseudo-cleft ones with adverbial clauses
(perfectly acceptable), such as:
 
(4) The time to leave is when people yawn.
 
(5) The reason he went home is because he was ill.
 
However, somehow I can't judge if there is a problem with
(1)-(3), and, if yes, whether this is rather for semantic
or for structural reasons in comparison to (4)-(5). I mean,
is the acceptability of (4)-(5) rather due to the fact
that the adverbial clauses refer to time resp. reason just
as their matrix NPs do? Or is it rather because of
structural reasons inherent to pseudo-cleft clauses?
 
Pure judgements on (1)-(3) are as much appreciated as any
further comments.
 
(Please send replies only to my personal e-mail address, because I
will be off Linguist List for some time shortly.)
 
Carsten Breul
e-mail: carsten.breul at rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-6-1201