18.3006, Support: Greek, Ancient & Syntactic Change: PhD Student, Leiden University

[LINGUIST Network]

LINGUIST List: Vol-18-3006. Mon Oct 15 2007. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 18.3006, Support: Greek, Ancient & Syntactic Change: PhD Student, Leiden University

Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Eastern Michigan U <aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Aristar-Dry, Eastern Michigan U <hdry at linguistlist.org>
 
Reviews: Randall Eggert, U of Utah  
         <reviews at linguistlist.org> 

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, 
and donations from subscribers and publishers.

Editor for this issue: Bethany Townsend <bethany at linguistlist.org>
================================================================  

To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at
http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.html.

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

1)
Date: 15-Oct-2007
From: Jeroen van de Weijer < j.m.van.de.weijer at let.leidenuniv.nl >
Subject: Greek, Ancient & Syntactic Change: PhD Student, Leiden University, Netherlands

 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:42:51
From: Jeroen van de Weijer [j.m.van.de.weijer at let.leidenuniv.nl]
Subject: Greek, Ancient & Syntactic Change: PhD Student, Leiden University, Netherlands
E-mail this message to a friend:
http://linguistlist.org/issues/emailmessage/verification.cfm?iss=18-3006.html&submissionid=158863&topicid=12&msgnumber=1  

Institution/Organization: Leiden University 
Department: Centre for Linguistics 
Web Address: http://www.lucl.nl 

Level: PhD 

Duties: Research
 
Specialty Areas: Historical Linguistics; Syntax 
Historical Change 
Required Language(s): Greek, Ancient (grc)

Description:

Available: One PhD position for the NWO Vidi-project: 'The nature of syntactic
change and what it tells us about language'
(Principal investigator: Dr. Chris H. Reintges)

Re-opened for submissions. Deadline: November 1, 2007

1. The research project

The focus of this research project is on syntactic variation and change. The
main working hypothesis is that syntactic variation provides the main locus for
syntactic change. Actual variation can be induced by external factors, such as
diglossia and language contact, but it can also arise spontaneously.

The empirical research is concerned with Ancient Egyptian and Koiné Greek, which
have been in close contact for almost a thousand years (from the Macedonian
conquest of Egypt in 332 BCE to the Arab invasion in 641 CE). Coptic, its most
recent stage (from around the third to the thirteenth century CE) emerged from a
bilingual Egyptian-Greek language variety spoken by the hellenized bourgeoisie
of Roman Egypt. While Coptic syntax was restructured according to the prestige
language's model, Koiné Greek morpho-syntax seems to be largely unaffected by
Egyptian substratum influence.

2. The PhD project: Word order variation between discourse and diglossia in
Roman Koiné

The PhD-project investigates the correlation between word order variation and
information structure in the Koiné Greek of the Roman period. A detailed study
of Koiné Greek clause structure allows us to determine the scope of syntactic
borrowing from Greek into Coptic Egyptian, in particular, which sentence
constructions were borrowed into Coptic, how they were structurally adjusted and
whether they fulfilled the same discourse functions or not.

The principal questions addressed in the PhD-project are the following ones:

  1. What are the positions of the major sentence elements in the clause?
  2. How do constituent structure and word order variation relate to information
structure?

3. Applications

Candidates are expected to have:

 -  An MA or M.Phil degree in Classics (specialization in Classical Greek) with
excellent results. Applicants from other fields (e.g., linguistics) are welcome,
but must have demonstrable competence in Classical Greek.
-  A specialization in Greek linguistics and philology (preferably with
linguistics as a minor).
-  A strong motivation to work on historical linguistics and syntactic theory.
-  Shortlisted candidates will be asked to write a proposal how they intend to
implement the research on Koiné Greek syntax (max. 2000 words) 

To apply, send a one-page letter of motivation, CV, grade lists, full contact
details for three scholars who could be asked to write a recommendation letter
for you, and any further documentation (BA, MA and/or M.Phil theses, relevant
articles or term papers). The appointment date will be around February 1, 2008.
The deadline for receipt of the application is November 1, 2007.

This PhD position is embedded in the research and training programme of LUCL,
which is part of the National Dutch Graduate School of Linguistics (LOT). PhD
students are appointed for a maximum of four years in order to complete a PhD
dissertation. Before-tax salaries range from EUR 1956 (monthly) in the first
year to EUR 2502 in the fourth.

For general information about LUCL, consult LUCL's home page, listed above, or
contact Dr. Jeroen M. van de Weijer. For information specific to the project,
please contact Dr. Chris H. Reintges, e-mail CReintges at linguist.jussieu.fr. 

Application Deadline: 01-Nov-2007 

Mailing Address for Applications:
	Attn: Mrs Mieke Okker-de Jager 
	Personnel Department 
	Faculty of Arts, PO Box 9515 
	Leiden 2300 RA 
	Netherlands 	
	
Web Address for Applications: http://www.lucl.leidenuniv.nl/index.php3?m=1&c=511 

Contact Information: 
	Jeroen van de Weijer 
	j.m.van.de.weijer at let.leidenuniv.nl
	(+31) 71 - 527 2205/2125  




-----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-18-3006