9.382, Qs: If-Then,-mt Words in Eng,Service-Industry Lang

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List:  Vol-9-382. Sat Mar 14 1998. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 9.382, Qs: If-Then,-mt Words in Eng,Service-Industry Lang

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=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Sat, 14 Mar 1998 09:07:08 -0500 (EST)
From:  Vincent DeCaen <decaen at chass.utoronto.ca>
Subject:  If-Then?  Semantics, Crosslinguistics, Biblical Hebrew

2)
Date:  Sat, 14 Mar 1998 03:31:32 -0800 (PST)
From:  alan harris <vcspc005 at email.csun.edu>
Subject:  -mt Words in English

3)
Date:  Sun, 15 Mar 1998 01:03:23 +0900 (JST)
From:  "R. Fouser" <rjfouser at twics.com>
Subject:  Service-Industry Language

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Sat, 14 Mar 1998 09:07:08 -0500 (EST)
From:  Vincent DeCaen <decaen at chass.utoronto.ca>
Subject:  If-Then?  Semantics, Crosslinguistics, Biblical Hebrew

dear Linguist List members,

why do logical operators come in two pieces in natural languages?
especially, why if-then?

why are the marked terms in such pairs first: either-or, both-and?
further, why do some languages simply say or-or, and-and? is there a
language with then-then?

re: if-then: if "if" is clearly modal, then does "then" also
participate in such modality? and then, why does "and then" not also
so participate? or does it?

further, why does it seem recursion is ok only on the then-side?  ie,
if-then(if-then(if-then)).  why??  ie, why a privileged "head" for
such chains?

any assistance in finding recent literature in this area will be
appreciated. what I really want is a semantic representation of "then"
that can be incorporated in work on tense logic. I feel this would
unlock an analysis of systems with mood-like "consecutive" structures
like Biblical Hebrew. thanks in advance.

-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Vincent DeCaen	 	 	     <decaen at chass.utoronto.ca>
Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto

Hebrew Syntax Encoding Initiative
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~decaen/hsei/intro.html
c/o Deparment of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
4 Bancroft Ave., 2d floor,  University of Toronto,
Toronto ON,  M5S 1A1


-------------------------------- Message 2 -------------------------------

Date:  Sat, 14 Mar 1998 03:31:32 -0800 (PST)
From:  alan harris <vcspc005 at email.csun.edu>
Subject:  -mt Words in English


What words in English end in -mt? are there any? this is the query to
a class of junior high school students. a.

   ===============================================================
   Alan C. Harris, Ph. D.          TELNOS: main off:  818-677-2853
   Professor, Communication/Linguistics  direct off:  818-677-2874
   Speech Communication Department
   California State University, Northridge     home:  818-366-3165
   SPCH CSUN                                    FAX:  818-677-2663
   Northridge, CA 91330-8257 INTERNET  email: ALAN.HARRIS at CSUN.EDU
             WWW homepage: http://www.csun.edu/~vcspc005
   ===============================================================


-------------------------------- Message 3 -------------------------------

Date:  Sun, 15 Mar 1998 01:03:23 +0900 (JST)
From:  "R. Fouser" <rjfouser at twics.com>
Subject:  Service-Industry Language



I am interested in starting a cross-cultural research project on
"service-industry language" in several Asian (Japanese and/or Korean)
and Western nations.  By service-industry language, I refer to the
language used by service-industry workers in, among others, the
retail, airline, financial, and food-service industries.  Examples of
such language are deferential tone of voice, polite/honorific
expressions, commercial expressions, and repeated conversational
routines.  I would appreciate comments on the following topics:

1. References to studies on service-industry language (general or
    language-specific).
2. References or comments on research methodology and data
    collection, particularly how to obtain natural data.
3. Comments on technical aspects of data collection (types of audio
    and video recorders).

Please send your comments to me at: rjfouser at twics.com
I will do my best to post a summary.

Thank you,

Robert Fouser

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