Typological Study Research Articles

Number Marking in Nadëb


 
 
 One of the most robust sources of fresh insights into typological categories comes from our growing knowledge of the indigenous languages of South America, a region that until recently has been significantly under-represented in typological studies. This paper offers a case in point through the investigation of number in Nadëb, a member of the small Naduhup family of the northwest Amazon, which reveals several typologically intriguing features. One of these is Nadëb’s emphasis on marking number on the verb as opposed to the noun, even while any registering of event number appears to be secondary to that of participant number. Nadëb also relies heavily on suppletive or semi-suppletive stem pairs in encoding numberdistinctions in both nouns and verbs. Finally, Nadëb’s resources for expressing number are quite different from those seen in its three sister languages, in which number is primarily a feature of the noun phrase, suggesting a significant reorganization of number-marking within the language family. The Nadëb case underscores the considerable diversity evident in number-marking strategies typologically, and how this diversity may emerge even within a single language family of limited time-depth.
 
 

Object and handling handshapes in 11 sign languages: towards a typology of the iconic use of the hands

Abstract This article looks at cross-linguistic variation in lexical iconicity, addressing the question of to what extent and how this variation is patterned. More than in spoken languages, iconicity is highly frequent in the lexicons of sign languages. It is also highly complex, in that often multiple motivated components jointly shape an iconic lexeme. Recent typological research on spoken languages finds tentative iconic patterning in a large number of basic lexical items, underlining once again the significance of iconicity for human language. The uncontested and widespread use of iconicity found in the lexicons of sign languages enables us to take typological research into lexical iconicity to the next level. Indeed, previous studies have shown cross-linguistic variation in: a) the use of embodying and handling handshapes in sign languages (mostly of European origin) and b) the frequency of space-based size depiction in African and European sign languages. The two types of variation may be interrelated, as handling handshapes may use space-based size depiction. In this study, we first replicate earlier studies on the distribution of embodying and handling handshapes, this time in a data set consisting of a relatively large set of sign languages (n = 11), most of which are used in Africa. The results confirm significant variation across these sign languages. These findings are then compared to the use of space-based size depiction, revealing that these patterns independently from the distribution of embodying/handling handshapes. We argue that the results call for expanding typological studies on representational strategies in iconic signs beyond the now relatively well studied instrument/manipulation alternation. Fine-grained analyses on a multitude of iconic features in signs are likely to reveal cross-linguistic variation in iconic tendencies in SL lexicons.

The studies on the Sungir Upper Paleolithic site in 2014–2015

The article is devoted to the results of archaeological excavations carried out on the Sungir in 2014-2015. The main purpose of these works was to obtain new data on the spatial structure of the cultural layer of the Sungir site. The relevance of these studies is caused by still unsolved question of whether Sungir can be considered as a site with a complex archaeological stratigraphy or the features of its spatial structure are only the result of natural postdepositional processes. Descriptions and characteristics of the stratigraphy of sediments, the spatial organization of the cultural layer, the species’ attribution and taphonomy of the faunal collection, the typology and technology of the stone industry, as well as new radiocarbon dating are given. It is noted that the excavations of 2015 were conducted on the peripheral part of the accumulations which were opened in the excavation unit III by O.N. Bader. Most of the animal bones found during excavations can be considered as belonging to species that the settlers hunted. The analysis of the stone inventory allowed us to identify the following production chains of manufacture: the production of large flakes, the production of blades, and the production of thin bifaces. The data obtained during the typological and technological study of blades and bladelets make it possible to suggest the existence of the fundamental differences between the Sungir industry and the industries of the Aurignacian technocomplex. Predominance of large flakes in the Sungir stone industry, as well as the characteristic techniques in bifaces production, which were recorded in the collection, allow us to consider so-called Streletskian culture as a more reasonable analogy to it. The stratigraphic position both of artifacts and accumulations of archaeological material, as well as the spatial context of the dated bone samples from reconnaissance trench No. 4 (2014), support the conclusion that the cultural layer of the Sungir site was formed in several stages. The results of archaeological work carried out on Sungir in 2014–2015 indicate the real perspectives for its further study. One of the urgent tasks facing the researchers of this outstanding site is the reconstruction of the spatial structure, including its archaeological stratigraphy.

Statistical bias control in typology

AbstractIn this paper, we propose two new statistical controls for genealogical and areal bias in typological samples. Our test case being the effect of VO-order effect on affix position (prefixation vs. suffixation), we show how statistical modeling including a phylogenetic regression term (phylogenetic control) and a two-dimensional Gaussian Process (areal control) can be used to capture genealogical and areal effects in a large but unbalanced sample. We find that, once these biases are controlled for, VO-order has no effect on affix position. Another important finding, which is in line with previous studies, is that areal effects are as important as genealogical effects, emphasizing the importance of areal or contact control in typological studies built on language samples. On the other hand, we also show that strict probability sampling is not required with the statistical controls that we propose, as long as the sample is a variety sample large enough to cover different areas and families. This has the crucial practical consequence that it allows us to include as much of the available information as possible, without the need to artificially restrict the sample and potentially lose otherwise available information.

A commentary of Data trusts in MIT Technology Review 2021

Data trust is an emerging concept in trust typology studies and contemporary legislation on trusts. Trust systems originated in the UK and were developed in the US. In the legal sense, trust refers to the act of trusting a trustee, where the trustor, in accordance with his/her own interests, hands over assets to the trustee to manage. The act of a trustee who manages the data or data rights of a group of individuals is known as data trust. The data trustee manages the client's data or data rights as well as interests, similar to how a doctor acts in the best interest of a patient. Theoretically, data trusts allow users to exercise their rights as data producers.①①Original source in Chinese: X. Zhang, Data trusts, Bulletin of National Natural Science Foundation of China. 35 (3) (2021) 406-407.

Review: Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond’s Historic Cemeteries, by Ryan K. Smith

Review: <i>Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond’s Historic Cemeteries</i>, by Ryan K. Smith

중국 소수민족 언어 명사분류사에 대한 일고찰

This paper examines the noun classifiers identified in minority languages of China in previous studies and confirms their existence. Previous studies did not report the presence of noun classifiers in minority languages, and there are many instances in which they were mistakenly described as numeral classifiers. In this study, therefore, based on the results of earlier research on classifiers, the criteria for determining noun classifiers applicable to minority languages and their boundaries with numeral classifiers were investigated. On this basis, the noun classifiers used in the Xiangxi Hmong language of the Hmong-Mien language family, the Bouyei language of the Kamdai language family, and the Lai language of the Austroasiatic language family were considered in this study and the usage patterns and characteristics of the noun classifiers in these languages were examined.<BR> The main characteristic of a noun classifier is its use with a noun to indicate the class of the noun, and its use should have no relation with quantitative expressions. Moreover, some noun classifiers also function to elaborate the meaning of the noun. In addition, the close relationship between noun classifiers and numeral classifiers was confirmed through the phenomenon of the same system of classifiers being used for both functions as in Bouyei, meaning that both types serve to indicate the class of nouns. This suggests that numeral classifiers may turn into noun classifiers, or that a classifier of one type may perform the function of the other.<BR> Earlier classifier studies did not pay sufficient attention to minority languages in China, and many studies in China have simply defined noun classifiers in minority languages as prefixes or additional morphological components when describing individual languages. However, the characteristics of the components described in grammar reference books or academic papers in China correspond to features of noun classifiers as defined in typological studies. Therefore, this paper determined the characteristics of noun classifiers consistent with the conditions of languages in China, examined the noun classifiers in the major languages in which noun classifiers are attested, and examined their close relationship with numeral classifiers, albeit at a rudimentary level.

Morphological Causative Construction of Indonesian and Javanese: A Typological Study

This study proposes to describe morphological causative formation in Indonesian and Javanese to determine similar verbs by comparing both. The levels of causative formation patterns in the Rembang Javanese dialect and Indonesian include (1) analytical causative construction, (2) morphological causation, and (3) lexical causation. This study focuses on the morphological causative construction in both languages. This study is descriptive qualitative with a language typology approach. Sources of data came from oral and written data. The data analysis applied typology theory. The results point out that the morphological causative form in Indonesian is constructed with the suffix “-kan” only. Meanwhile, Rembang Javanese dialect is much greater; it can be formed with the prefix “n-“, infix “-en”, infix “-in”, the suffix “-I”, the suffix “-no”, and the suffix “–ke”. These affixes increase the number of valences (arguments).

Morphometric Analysis through 3D Modelling of Bronze Age Stone Moulds from Central Sardinia

Stone moulds were basic elements of metallurgy during the Bronze Age, and their analysis and characterization are very important to improve the knowledge on these artefacts useful for typological characterization. The stone moulds investigated in this study were found during an archaeological field survey in several Nuragic (Bronze Age) settlements in Central Sardinia. Recent studies have shown that photogrammetry can be effectively used for the 3D reconstruction of small and medium-sized archaeological finds, although there are still many challenges in producing high-quality digital replicas of ancient artefacts due to their surface complexity and consistency. In this paper, we propose a multidisciplinary approach using mineralogical (X-ray powder diffraction) and petrographic (thin section) analysis of stone materials, as well as an experimental photogrammetric method for 3D reconstruction from multi-view images performed with recent software based on the CMPMVS algorithm. The photogrammetric image dataset was carried out using an experimental rig equipped with a 26.2 Mpix full frame digital camera. We also assessed the accuracy of the reconstruction models in order to verify their precision and readability according to archaeological goals. This allowed us to provide an effective tool for more detailed study of the geometric-dimensional aspects of the moulds. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates the potentialities of an integrated minero-petrographic and photogrammetric approach for the characterization of small artefacts, providing an effective tool for more in-depth investigation of future typological comparisons and provenance studies.

Vowel deletion before sibilant-stop clusters in Latin: issues of syllabification, lexicon and diachrony

AbstractSyncope of a short vowel before a clustersT(R)(T: stop;R:lorr) is attested in Latin and Sabellic: Latinfēstra(besidefenestra),sēstertius,iuxtā, Oscanvezkeí, minstreis, Umbrianetuřstamu,mersto. This phenomenon raises important questions both for the historical phonology of the Italic languages and for the typological study ofsT(R)-clusters. In Latin and Sabellic, syncope normally took place only in open syllables. Three competing strategies are possible in order to explain this paradox. (i) It has been argued that the clustersT(R)was an onset, which would imply that the vowel standing before the clustersT(R)was in an open syllableat the time of the syncope. (ii) It has been proposed that the sequencesTbehaves as a single consonant. (iii) It could be assumed that the syncope did not take place in a closed syllableexceptif the closing consonant wass(or its allophonez). Furthermore, a careful study of the relevant material shows that in some Latin words a vowel standing beforesT(R)may have been deleted by a phonological process distinct from the syncopestricto sensu(haplology,noundinum-rule).

Comparative constructions in Tafi

AbstractThis paper describes the constructions and strategies available in Tafi, a KA-Ghana-Togo-Mountain language, for indicating relations of similarity, equality or superiority among two or more entities or events with respect to a property. Drawing on typological studies of comparison, I demonstrate that Tafi’s dedicated comparative constructions, that is, equivalents of English sentences likeThe pig is more dirty than the duckinvolve serial verb construction (SVC) subtypes. For superiority, theparameter(or property, ‘dirty’) of the comparison is expressed by the V1 in the SVC while V2 is the ‘exceed’ verb. For equality, theparameteris the V1 and the V2 is the ‘be.equal’ verb. The V2s in these SVCs co-lexicalise both themark(e.g. ‘than’) andindex(e.g. ‘more’) of the comparison. The paper discusses the contact-driven influences from areal grammar and from Ewe, the dominant lingua franca for Tafi speakers, on the linguistic expression of comparison. The ‘exceed’ comparative structure found in African languages has been attributed to areal grammaticalisation. I further argue that the operator verbsɔ/sɔ̃‘be.equal’ in the Tafi equality SVC is borrowed from Ewe. Similarity constructions involve the semblativenâsí. Similarity is also signalled through the verbyi‘resemble’. I also explore the ordinal verbbhusó‘do.first’ as a lexical comparative. Furthermore, I argue that Tafi, like many other Kwa languages, does not formally code a superlative. Superlative readings are inferred from the context and from non-dedicated linguistic indicators such as intensifiers.

Meter in Traditional Kakataibo Chants

This paper studies the principal aspects of meter of three traditional Kakataibo chants (a Panoan group of Peruvian Amazonia). Regarding meter, Kakataibo chants exhibit patterns relevant for the cross-linguistic study of line and meter typology. I describe the Kakataibo system of versification as a quantitative meter that counts an exact number of moras and regulates the distribution of these by imposing grouping restrictions; also, it establishes weight differences between light, heavy and superheavy syllables, and vowel lengthening plays an important role for meter purposes. In addition, the average duration of lines tends to last less than three seconds and decreases progressively during performance.

Cross-linguistic constraints and lineage-specific developments in the semantics of cutting and breaking in Japonic and Germanic

Abstract Semantic variation in the cutting and breaking domain has been shown to be constrained across languages in a previous typological study, but it was unclear whether Japanese was an outlier in this domain. Here we revisit cutting and breaking in the Japonic language area by collecting new naming data for 40 videoclips depicting cutting and breaking events in Standard Japanese, the highly divergent Tohoku dialects, as well as four related Ryukyuan languages (Amami, Okinawa, Miyako and Yaeyama). We find that the Japonic languages recapitulate the same semantic dimensions attested in the previous typological study, confirming that semantic variation in the domain of cutting and breaking is indeed cross-linguistically constrained. We then compare our new Japonic data to previously collected Germanic data and find that, in general, related languages resemble each other more than unrelated languages, and that the Japonic languages resemble each other more than the Germanic languages do. Nevertheless, English resembles all of the Japonic languages more than it resembles Swedish. Together, these findings show that the rate and extent of semantic change can differ between language families, indicating the existence of lineage-specific developments on top of universal cross-linguistic constraints.

PHONETIC INTERFERENCE – AS A RESULT OF THE INTERACTION OF LANGUAGES

This article examines a modern model of teaching Arabic pronunciation in the Uzbek audience, which provides for a theoretical substantiation of the methodological postulate and the development of an effective technology for the formation of auditory-pronunciation skills, namely, for the first time, a comparative typological study of the entire consonant composition of the Arabic and Uzbek languages is carried out, as well as proposed a set of exercises that helps to overcome phonetic interference when teaching Arabic in an Uzbek audience and guidelines for teachers and students.

Types structurels et fonctionnels des unités lexicales, leur expressivité

At the present stage of development of linguistic science and in context of global trends towards constant cooperation in various fields and spheres of activity, there is a need for comparative typological studies aimed at a comprehensive and large-scale study of various linguistic categories. First of all, this is explained by the fact that it is in these categories, as in a mirror, that the peculiarities of the mentality, history and secular culture of the speakers of a particular language are reflected. The object of language sciences consists of two series of phenomena: on the one hand, it is made up of everything that is inherent in human language, that is to say language as such in its relation to thought and to reality; on the other hand, we are talking about the specifics and the variety of properties and categories of each language compared to another. Researchers' attention has largely shifted from the question of how the language of speakers of a particular language works. Research plays an important role in the study of the specificities of the nominative means of the language. Contrastive linguistics has the great advantage that the practical areas of its application are clearly visible. These are mainly the methodology and methodology of foreign language teaching, bilingual lexicography, theory and practice of translation.

Crime scripting the criminal activities of money laundering – holistically

PurposeThis paper aims to demonstrate the benefit of applying crime script analysis at a macro level to expose money laundering as an interconnected series of events that contradict understanding which defines money laundering as a series of typological studies.Design/methodology/approachUsing previously captured data and detailed research studies alongside the professional experience of the author, this study creates a horizontal crime script for three distinct methods of money laundering – to determine characteristic nodes and identify pathways.FindingsDespite significant research into money laundering typologies, this paper demonstrates that the process of money laundering cannot be separated into typological studies. By applying crime script analysis to each method of money laundering prior to analysing the nodes, activities and behaviours, money laundering can be identified as a series of interconnected services, business formalities and management activities.Practical implicationsThis study is of value to government policymakers, regulators and financial institutions considering future preventative measures. It is also of value to financial investigators and law enforcement agencies intent on investigating money laundering. By applying the method of analysis outlined in this paper to each method of money laundering and then combining them together, it is possible to understand money laundering as a holistic process, in which webs of interconnected criminal events can be identified for investigative and preventative purposes.Originality/valueInterest in crime script analysis is now supporting understanding of different crime types. This study goes beyond the analysis of individual types of money laundering and applies it in a “test format” against three methods of money laundering to create, for the first time, a holistic or macro appreciation of the interconnected series of events, activities and behaviours which exist beyond the characteristics routinely captured in money laundering typology reports.

The Epigravettian chronology and the human population of eastern Central Europe during MIS2

The goal of this paper is to refine the relative and absolute chronology of Epigravettian culture (26.5–15.0 ka) in eastern Central Europe (ECE) and clarify its relation to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and subsequent climatic changes. Epigravettian sites were sorted into three chronological clusters: initial LGM (ILGM) (26.5–24.0 ka), local LGM (LLGM) (24.0–20.0 ka), and post-LGM (PLGM) (20.0–14.7 ka). We obtained new radiocarbon dates from previously dated and undated sites, then analysed the lithic tool typology and faunal data to seek correlations between age and archaeological features.The lithic typology study did not find differences between ILGM and LLGM sites, but the tool type variance between LLGM and PLGM was significant, applicable for relative chronology. ILGM and LLGM lithic assemblages were characterized by domestic tool dominance and the frequent use of flake tools. PLGM assemblages were correlated with armature dominance and blade/let tools. Among the armatures, backed point variants characterized the PLGM sites compared to the ILGM and LLGM. The sole ILGM lithic armature was the retouched blade/let point. The LLGM also possessed this type and often included backed blade/lets.ILGM faunal data, although few, implied the hunting of mammoth and reindeer. The LLGM data represented recurring hunting of reindeer and horse, and PLGM data indicated the hunting of horse, reindeer, and mammoth.Our results suggested that the territory of Poland was deserted by humans in the LLGM. Moravia and Lower Austria was inhabited until the first half of the LLGM, while the Carpathian Basin was all along the ILGM. The preference for the Carpathian Basin could have been the milder climate, the abundance of fauna, and permanent access to tree vegetation. After the LGM the glacial flora and fauna gradually disappeared, leading to a reduced human presence in southern ECE. Thus, the disappearance of the Epigravettian culture and Pleistocene hunter-gatherer occupations are linked to the amelioration of climate that resulted in the disappearance of the Pleistocene environment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MENTAL STATE OF THE HERO IN THE WORKS OF RAY BRADBURY AND KHODJIAKBAR SHAIKHOV

The investigation of psyche problems in terms of artistic analysis of the study of psychology, artistic understanding of the complexity, contradictions, invisible mysteries of heroes’ state of mind, has always been attractive to study in the world literature. It is essential to reveal and solve problems associated with the confusion and boundless breadth of the subconscious, literary and poetic peculiarities, the specific features of the initial stage of fantastic literature development, the perfection of the directions of social, philosophical, fiction, the emergence of dystopia, apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic, steampunk or pro-punk, turbo-realism, post-cyberpunk, alternative directions of fiction, which are the basis of the psychoanalytic teachings of the twentieth century. In the field of research of the phenomenon of psychologism as a scientific and theoretical problem in world literature, it should be noted that, since the image of a person is in the center of fiction, the conducted research is aimed at revealing his/her spiritual world, describing uncontrolled evolutions in his/her inner world, studying the capabilities of the individual. In particular, special attention is paid to the development of scientifically based ideas about the problems associated with the appearance of psychologisms in fantastic works, their artistic tasks to reveal the character of the hero, the spiritual world of the writer in an artistic image, his spiritual worldview, his philosophical views on the world and a person. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the concept of artistic psychologism in the works of Ray Bradbury and Khodjiakbar Shaikhov, to reveal the creative skills of writers in presenting the heroes’ psychology in their fantastic works in the context of a comparative typological study. The object of the research deals with the study of such problems disclosure heroes’ spiritual world, the direct or indirect depiction of the psychology of characters in the context of the artistic interpretation of universal values in works of Ray Bradbury and Khodjiakbar Shaikhov’s using the method of comparative typological analysis. The subject of this research is the concept of artistic psychologism in Ray Bradbury and Khodjiakbar Shaikhov’s works. The methods of structural analysis, comparative-historical, comparative-typological, psychological and biographical methods have been used for the research.

Argument Structure in Sign Languages

Although sign languages are crucial for research on the human linguistic capacity, argument structure in these languages is rarely addressed in theoretical and typological studies. This article provides an overview of existing research on argument structure and argument structure alternations in sign languages. It demonstrates that there are many fundamental similarities between the two modalities in the domain of argument structure, such as the basic valency patterns and the semantic basis of argument structure. At the same time, modality effects, such as iconicity, simultaneity, and the use of space, play an important role in argument structure realization. Finally, the article discusses how emerging sign languages present an opportunity to observe and study the emergence of argument structure.

The Xlendi Bay shipwreck (Gozo, Malta): a petrographic and typological study of an archaic ceramic cargo

AbstractAn underwater survey off the southwest coast of the island of Gozo revealed a well-preserved shipwreck 110 m below the surface. The site belonged to a previously unknown wreck with a cargo of volcanic millstones and ceramic amphorae dating to the 7th century BC. This article presents the first results of thin-section analysis taken from the pottery objects, and concludes that the ship was carrying a heterogeneous cargo of amphora-borne goods from the Maltese islands, North Tunisia, and possibly Sicily, making it the earliest, known shipwreck in the central Mediterranean; and provides the earliest evidence for Maltese external trade in the central Mediterranean.