Biloxi update

[R. Rankin]

Oh, and don't forget the computer files of D&S's texts and dictionaries at the
U. of Colorado's Siouan Archive.  It was recorded in the older ASCII symbol set
with all-CAPS and numerals for diacritics, but it can be dubbed down into
Windows symbols/formatting by you.  It's much easier to search than the book
(which should always be on hand for double checking for typoes.

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "R. Rankin" <rankin at ku.edu>
To: <siouan at lists.colorado.edu>
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2004 3:45 PM
Subject: Re: Biloxi update


> >  Can the dictionary be special ordered perhaps through Borders or
Amazon.com?
>
> There are lots of used copies floating around.  Amazon.com's websites
> incorporates inventories from several other antiquarian booksellers.  check
> there first.
>
> > May I request a copy of Einaudi's dissertation from U of Colorado by phone
or
> email to be sent to me?
>
> It was published by Garland Press.  There should be used copies floating
around.
>
> Whom would I contact at the Smithsonian to get copies of Dorsey's field notes?
>
> Go to the National Anthropological Archives website and start there.  They
> charge an arm and a leg for photocopying but may have the Biloxi on microfilm.
> I don't know.
>
> > I would imagine documenting an "extinct" language has its own problems,
since
> there are no longer native speakers left with which to confirm data.  But I
> suppose it also has its advantages in that one doesn't have to go through the
> long and difficult process of establishing rapports with native speakers and
> become involved in tribal politics which I've heard sometimes happens in field
> work.  It seems my main difficulty would just be in gathering, from a
distance,
> all the extant materials and prior work that has been done.
>
> Better look at Dorsey and Swanton first, and Einaudi.  It's true that for
> philological analysis of texts lots of comparative work is useful.
>
> > I'm also curious about one other thing: since I currently have an MA (not a
> PhD) in linguistics, would it be too illogical to assume that once one is
> already involved in analysis of a language, that it would be easier to be
> accepted to a PhD-granting university?  I mean if I were to make a career of
> analyzing a language and would be developing the material for a dissertation
> anyway, and then some!, wouldn't this also suggest easier acceptance into a
> program?  I have actually considered applying to Canadian or British
> universities where I understand all that's required is research and a
> dissertation, and extra course work is not needed as is the case here in the
US.
> I'm nearly 42 years old, so of course time is an issue for me in achieving a
> PhD.  Not that I'm hellbent on achieving a PhD (it really doesn't matter that
> much to me either way) but since I'd already be doing the research and work
that
> a dissertation would entail, why not?
>
> I'm sure there are lots of Ph.D. programs in Linguistics that would love to
have
> applicants.  This is especially true with international student applications
> down 20 or 30%.  You'd maybe want a local Siouanist and definitely the
> availability of comparative linguistics if possible.  That restricts the
> possibilities somewhat.  At the moment I guess you might think of Colorado,
> Chicago, UCSB, UCLA, UCB, Indiana, Utah, SUNY Buffalo, UBC, Regina, Toronto in
> no particular order.  I'm probably leaving someone out.  I'm retiring in May
or
> I'd mention KS.  There are some Anthropology depts among these too.
>
> Bob
> >
> > Thanks again for your feedback and answering my many questions!
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > "R. Rankin" <rankin at ku.edu> wrote:
> > The place to start with Biloxi is John R. Swanton and James Owen Dorsey, A
> > Dictionary of the Biloxi and Ofo Languages. BAE Bulletin 47, 1912. Paula
> > Einaudi's U. of Colorado dissertation from about '74 is based on D&S and is
a
> > good starting place for further work. I reviewed the book for IJAL and have
> > written a few additional papers on Biloxi and Ofo. The Smithsonian has
> Dorsey's
> > original Biloxi field notes which may contain additional information.
Gatschet
> > did a little earlier field work incorporated by Dorsey. Mary Haas located a
> > woman in about 1934 who could remember a few words of Biloxi and she
published
> a
> > paper in IJAL in about 1968 entitled "The last words of Biloxi". Randy
Graczyk
> > has a nice paper on Biloxi switch-reference particles in MS form.
> >
> > There is much about Biloxi morphosyntax that needs clarification. Einaudi's
> > sketch is a beginning, but the definitive Biloxi grammar is yet to be
written.
> > I don't think another "dissertation length" treatise would cover it. It is
> > pretty much a career's worth of work for somebody. Not me -- I have noodled
> > around with it, but I'm too old and have too much on my plate already. I
hope
> > you or someone else will work with what's available.
> >
> > Hint: Take Dorsey's two series of stop consonants (plain and with subscript
> > dots) seriously. They represent distinct phonological series that were
missed
> > by virtually everybody after Dorsey.
> >
> > Another hint: A single linguist per language guarantees totally inadequate
> > coverage. There is still much to analyze in Dakotan, and numerous linguists
> > have been trying to understand how that language works for well over 150
> years.
> > The other Siouan languages haven't seen nearly as much work. There's plenty
to
> > do with both texts and speakers in a variety of languages, and if it's done
> > right, both speakers and linguists will appreciate the effort.
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Kaufman"
> > To:
> > Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2004 6:54 PM
> > Subject: Re: Hidatsa update
> >
> >
> > > Thanks, John B., for your response and update on Hiraca. Glad to hear from
> > you and know you're still involved in the tribe's efforts to revitalize it.
> > >
> > > Also, I wanted to ask the list about Biloxi. I was informed that there are
a
> > lot of texts available. I'm not sure if it's still spoken or if it's one of
> the
> > unfortunate extinct Siouan languages. Also, I'm wondering if anyone is
> > currently involved in its research. Since I'm still willing and able to work
> on
> > a Siouan language, and since right now it's rather difficult financially for
> me
> > to travel across the country to do fieldwork, I feel I'd be in a very good
> > position to study an "extinct" language which involves only written
materials
> > and texts. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get more info on this
> > language and its current status and where I may be able to get hold of
copies
> of
> > its texts?
> > >
> > > Thanks.
> > >
> > > Dave Kaufman
> > >
> > > John Boyle wrote:
> > > Hello, I'm wondering what the status is right now of work on the Hiraca
> > (Hidatsa) and Hocak (Winnebago) languages. I have not seen list email
> > correspondence from John Boyle recently, whom I know was working on Hiraca
(at
> > least he was a couple of years ago when I visited Chicago). I wouldn't mind
> > getting hold of any new documentation, dictionaries, updated grammars, or
any
> > other materials which may have been recently published, or which I may
obtain
> > for my own library and self-study purposes. I recently sent an email
regarding
> > Cherokee and Hawaiian. (I take it by the lack of response that there are no
> > Siouanists out there also delving into these non-Siouan languages, or know
of
> > anyone who does.) These are the two indigenous languages I'm putting most of
> my
> > efforts into right now, but I always keep an eye on Hiraca, Hocak, and some
> > other Siouan languages as well, although I'm not formally or professionally
> > involved in working on these languages. It's strictly for my own
> > > information and personal interest. Thanks. Dave
> > Kaufmandvklinguist2003 at yahoo.com
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi All,
> > >
> > >
> > > Well, I'm still working on Hidatsa. I have just completed a dissertation
> > chapter on relative clauses which is more or less ready to go. It is pretty
> > theoretical with a lot of syntactic trees, but if anyone would like a copy,
> I'd
> > be happy to send a pdf. I have also spent a good chunk of the summer
entering
> > Wes Jones' Word List/Dictionary into an excel spread sheet, so that it is
> > searchable. Unfortunately, I use fonts that are probably not compatible for
PC
> > users. I hope to do a find and replace in the near future so that it is
> > available for the schools on the reservation and anyone else who would like
a
> > copy. Throughout the coming year, I plan on checking all of the words and
> > adding more to the list. All in all, it is a really good word list although
> > some of the non-traditional words are not agreed upon by some people, so
we'll
> > want to flag those.
> > > We are also working on lesson plans and grammar exercises for the
> > schools to ensure that we are in line with all of the "No Child Left Behind"
> > guidelines. In addition, we hope to be completing a "Sketch" for Lincolm on
> > Hidatsa within the next year and a half. With regards to texts, I have
> > completed interlinear breakdowns for all of the Lowie and Earth Lodge texts
in
> > addition to several others, giving us a total of 13 completed texts (which
is
> > over 1150 lines). There is still some inconsistency within the texts as my
> > analysis has changed over the years, so I wouldn't feel so comfortable
giving
> > these out. In addition, some of the Hidatsa feel that some of these stories
> > shouldn't be told to outsiders, so we still have to work through that
> culturally
> > sensitive point.
> > > Other than that, things are going well on Ft. Berthold. The new
> > immersion programs are working well for the younger children and the high
> school
> > programs are becoming more uniform in their content.
> > > With regards to Hocank, I assume that Helmbrecht is still actively
> > working on the language and I know that there are very active language
> > revitalization programs going on on all of the reservations.
> > >
> > >
> > > So that's what's going an as far as I know.
> > >
> > >
> > > All the best,
> > >
> > >
> > > John (Boyle not Koontz)
> > >
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------
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> > > vote.yahoo.com - Register online to vote today!
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
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> > vote.yahoo.com - Register online to vote today!
>
>