Three styles of personal names are attested for the Meithei (Tibeto-Burman, Manipur State in nort... more Three styles of personal names are attested for the Meithei (Tibeto-Burman, Manipur State in northeast India): a native-Meithei style, a Hindu style introduced with the eighteenth-century adoption of Hinduism by the Meithei, and a "resistance" style typified by previously unattested structures and clan names. This article shows that those who espouse a clean break with Indian political and religious hegemony use resistance-style names, whereas those who favor strengthened ties between Manipur and India, while still cherishing pre-Hindu identity, move fluidly between use of Hindu and resistance-style names.
The purpose of this chapter is set up a blueprint on how to design and carry out a language docum... more The purpose of this chapter is set up a blueprint on how to design and carry out a language documentation project for an endangered spoken language. In reality, no one blueprint will suffice since there are many documenter profiles and a variety conditions for language endangerment. For instance, the documenter may be a leading figure in a community’s culture and literature committee, a linguist hired by a community to initiate a documentation project, a linguist pursuing an academic goal such as completing a dissertation or gathering data to answer research questions, or an academic, most often a linguist or linguistic anthropologist, collaborating with the community to document its language. The language to be documented could score well on a vitality scale or be in danger of going silent in the immediate future.
In this chapter, I will assume that the documenters are community members and academic researchers working together with shared goals and methods and I will further assume that the language to be documented has average vitality by UNESCO standards. That is, a majority of the population speaks the language even though most children are multilingual and use the language in limited domains; there is a writing system but not much by way of written literature or grammatical description; and although government educational policies do not support maintenance of the language, the community is interested in creating documentation towards revitalization.1 With this scenario in mind, I review factors which can impact the planning and implementation of a language documentation project. These factors are: immediate and long-term goals; the composition and effective management of the team undertaking the documentation; funding to support the required activities; technological proficiency and linguistic expertise; preparation for onsite and offsite data collection; data management; personnel management; and results dissemination.
There are two exciting facets of language description: the fieldwork
experience, which is necessa... more There are two exciting facets of language description: the fieldwork experience, which is necessary for data collection, and the process of discovery and analysis that leads to the description of the target language. In order for our record of language structures to be as accurate as possible, data collection is best conducted using rigorous methodology. The goal of language description is often not to capture just one speaker’s internal grammar but to represent prevalent patterns for a community of speakers. In that sense, grammatical description is “fake” in that no one speaker will instantiate all the structures described in the grammar; at the same time, however, the grammar is “real” because the facts described therein are accepted by most speakers as accurately representing their language. The main product of descriptive fieldwork, whether a grammar or a targeted description of particular parts of a grammar, must therefore include data from a variety of speakers, favoring the most frequent patterns and noting common variations based on social or contextual factors.
This handbook provides the most comprehensive reference on linguistic fieldwork on the market bri... more This handbook provides the most comprehensive reference on linguistic fieldwork on the market bringing together all the reader needs to carry out successful linguistic fieldwork. The book is based on the experiences of two veteran linguistic fieldworkers and advice from more than twenty active fieldwork researchers. They provide an encyclopedic review of current publications on linguistic fieldwork and offer a unique survey of past and present approaches and solutions to problems in the field. They also examine the historical, political, and social variables correlating with fieldwork in different areas of the world. The book includes information omitted in most other texts on the subject, such as the collection, representation, management, and methods of extracting grammatical information from discourse and conversational data. Extensive practical fieldwork tips are provided, as well as a handy sketch of major typological features for use in linguistic analysis.
Opening remarks for the 4th International Conference on Documentation and Conservation, held at t... more Opening remarks for the 4th International Conference on Documentation and Conservation, held at the Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu, Hawai'i, February 26-March 1, 2015
This Talk Story facilitates conversations on the success and challenges of carrying out language ... more This Talk Story facilitates conversations on the success and challenges of carrying out language projects and maintaining relationships at a distance. Together we build a collaborative written record of lessons learned from the current pandemic, which can serve to guide future language documentation projects where distance is a factor
Interview with guest Prof Shobana Chelliah of University of North Texas as part of the 2021 cours... more Interview with guest Prof Shobana Chelliah of University of North Texas as part of the 2021 course Introduction to Language Documentation and Description at SOAS. Interviewed by Joseph Lovestrand.
This paper aims at answering the "how" questions about organizing and hosting an online... more This paper aims at answering the "how" questions about organizing and hosting an online conference during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 3rd International Pan-Pacific Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (PPTELL) Conference and Critical Thinking Meeting (hereafter PPTELL 2020) hosted from June 29 to July 1, 2020, on Zoom is the example conference used in this paper to illustrate the challenges and approaches adopted before, during and after the conference. The mentioned conference was supposed to take place physically at the University of North Texas during the same period but was transformed into an online virtual conference due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020. It was an urgent decision, along with many unknown situations, such as the attendees' different time zones and "Zoombombing." A three-staged and target-action process guided the preparation and organization of the online conference, i.e., pre-, during, and post-conference. According to the live...
... I wish to thank all the people in Manipur University who helped me in my attempt to collect m... more ... I wish to thank all the people in Manipur University who helped me in my attempt to collect materials on Meiteiron. especially Mr. Radhe Sham Singh, the Deputy Librarian of the Manipur University Library. Thanks also to Dr. MS Ningomba, Dr. Shree Krishan. Dr. CRS Sharma. ...
Motion verbs and directional prefixes are used in Lamkang to encode space. The Lamkang language, ... more Motion verbs and directional prefixes are used in Lamkang to encode space. The Lamkang language, spoken by the Lamkang Naga, is part of the Kuki-Chin subgroup and is spoken in the Chandel district of Manipur state, India. Lamkang evokes absolute frames of reference, specifically the uphill and downhill axis, to describe movement. Lamkang combines this absolute framing with the culturally determined prestige of one location over another. Directional prefixes, derived from motion verbs, are also employed to express movement through space and metaphorically through time and social or psychological space. The directional prefixes exhibit verb-stem variation just like main verbs. Lamkang employs these prefixes to express boundary crossings, but for fictive or virtual motion main-verb semantics is employed. Finally, Lamkang spatial encoding employs a venitive which acts as a narrative device to locate the center of action. KEYWORDS Lamkang, absolute reference, aristomorphic reference, fic...
Closing remarks for the 4th International Conference on Documentation and Conservation, held at t... more Closing remarks for the 4th International Conference on Documentation and Conservation, held at the Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu, Hawai'i, February 26-March 1, 2015.
This chapter provides an overview of primary motivations for linguistic fieldwork, language descr... more This chapter provides an overview of primary motivations for linguistic fieldwork, language description, and language documentation. The work of Franz Boas, Edward Sapir, Mary Haas, John Peabody Harrington, Dell Hymes, and Joel Sherzer continue to influence methods of data collection and the types of data language documenters collect. We discuss three broad motivations for language documentation: documenting language use/language and culture, understanding human cognition, and describing language structure. We discuss three methodologies related to these motivations: ethnography of communication, experimental methods, and eliciting targeted constructions. The discussion also contrasts four nonacademic motivations for language documentation: Christian proselytizing, community language revitalization efforts, personal reward and fulfillment, and humanitarian service.
Three styles of personal names are attested for the Meithei (Tibeto-Burman, Manipur State in nort... more Three styles of personal names are attested for the Meithei (Tibeto-Burman, Manipur State in northeast India): a native-Meithei style, a Hindu style introduced with the eighteenth-century adoption of Hinduism by the Meithei, and a "resistance" style typified by previously unattested structures and clan names. This article shows that those who espouse a clean break with Indian political and religious hegemony use resistance-style names, whereas those who favor strengthened ties between Manipur and India, while still cherishing pre-Hindu identity, move fluidly between use of Hindu and resistance-style names.
The purpose of this chapter is set up a blueprint on how to design and carry out a language docum... more The purpose of this chapter is set up a blueprint on how to design and carry out a language documentation project for an endangered spoken language. In reality, no one blueprint will suffice since there are many documenter profiles and a variety conditions for language endangerment. For instance, the documenter may be a leading figure in a community’s culture and literature committee, a linguist hired by a community to initiate a documentation project, a linguist pursuing an academic goal such as completing a dissertation or gathering data to answer research questions, or an academic, most often a linguist or linguistic anthropologist, collaborating with the community to document its language. The language to be documented could score well on a vitality scale or be in danger of going silent in the immediate future.
In this chapter, I will assume that the documenters are community members and academic researchers working together with shared goals and methods and I will further assume that the language to be documented has average vitality by UNESCO standards. That is, a majority of the population speaks the language even though most children are multilingual and use the language in limited domains; there is a writing system but not much by way of written literature or grammatical description; and although government educational policies do not support maintenance of the language, the community is interested in creating documentation towards revitalization.1 With this scenario in mind, I review factors which can impact the planning and implementation of a language documentation project. These factors are: immediate and long-term goals; the composition and effective management of the team undertaking the documentation; funding to support the required activities; technological proficiency and linguistic expertise; preparation for onsite and offsite data collection; data management; personnel management; and results dissemination.
There are two exciting facets of language description: the fieldwork
experience, which is necessa... more There are two exciting facets of language description: the fieldwork experience, which is necessary for data collection, and the process of discovery and analysis that leads to the description of the target language. In order for our record of language structures to be as accurate as possible, data collection is best conducted using rigorous methodology. The goal of language description is often not to capture just one speaker’s internal grammar but to represent prevalent patterns for a community of speakers. In that sense, grammatical description is “fake” in that no one speaker will instantiate all the structures described in the grammar; at the same time, however, the grammar is “real” because the facts described therein are accepted by most speakers as accurately representing their language. The main product of descriptive fieldwork, whether a grammar or a targeted description of particular parts of a grammar, must therefore include data from a variety of speakers, favoring the most frequent patterns and noting common variations based on social or contextual factors.
This handbook provides the most comprehensive reference on linguistic fieldwork on the market bri... more This handbook provides the most comprehensive reference on linguistic fieldwork on the market bringing together all the reader needs to carry out successful linguistic fieldwork. The book is based on the experiences of two veteran linguistic fieldworkers and advice from more than twenty active fieldwork researchers. They provide an encyclopedic review of current publications on linguistic fieldwork and offer a unique survey of past and present approaches and solutions to problems in the field. They also examine the historical, political, and social variables correlating with fieldwork in different areas of the world. The book includes information omitted in most other texts on the subject, such as the collection, representation, management, and methods of extracting grammatical information from discourse and conversational data. Extensive practical fieldwork tips are provided, as well as a handy sketch of major typological features for use in linguistic analysis.
Opening remarks for the 4th International Conference on Documentation and Conservation, held at t... more Opening remarks for the 4th International Conference on Documentation and Conservation, held at the Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu, Hawai'i, February 26-March 1, 2015
This Talk Story facilitates conversations on the success and challenges of carrying out language ... more This Talk Story facilitates conversations on the success and challenges of carrying out language projects and maintaining relationships at a distance. Together we build a collaborative written record of lessons learned from the current pandemic, which can serve to guide future language documentation projects where distance is a factor
Interview with guest Prof Shobana Chelliah of University of North Texas as part of the 2021 cours... more Interview with guest Prof Shobana Chelliah of University of North Texas as part of the 2021 course Introduction to Language Documentation and Description at SOAS. Interviewed by Joseph Lovestrand.
This paper aims at answering the "how" questions about organizing and hosting an online... more This paper aims at answering the "how" questions about organizing and hosting an online conference during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 3rd International Pan-Pacific Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (PPTELL) Conference and Critical Thinking Meeting (hereafter PPTELL 2020) hosted from June 29 to July 1, 2020, on Zoom is the example conference used in this paper to illustrate the challenges and approaches adopted before, during and after the conference. The mentioned conference was supposed to take place physically at the University of North Texas during the same period but was transformed into an online virtual conference due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020. It was an urgent decision, along with many unknown situations, such as the attendees' different time zones and "Zoombombing." A three-staged and target-action process guided the preparation and organization of the online conference, i.e., pre-, during, and post-conference. According to the live...
... I wish to thank all the people in Manipur University who helped me in my attempt to collect m... more ... I wish to thank all the people in Manipur University who helped me in my attempt to collect materials on Meiteiron. especially Mr. Radhe Sham Singh, the Deputy Librarian of the Manipur University Library. Thanks also to Dr. MS Ningomba, Dr. Shree Krishan. Dr. CRS Sharma. ...
Motion verbs and directional prefixes are used in Lamkang to encode space. The Lamkang language, ... more Motion verbs and directional prefixes are used in Lamkang to encode space. The Lamkang language, spoken by the Lamkang Naga, is part of the Kuki-Chin subgroup and is spoken in the Chandel district of Manipur state, India. Lamkang evokes absolute frames of reference, specifically the uphill and downhill axis, to describe movement. Lamkang combines this absolute framing with the culturally determined prestige of one location over another. Directional prefixes, derived from motion verbs, are also employed to express movement through space and metaphorically through time and social or psychological space. The directional prefixes exhibit verb-stem variation just like main verbs. Lamkang employs these prefixes to express boundary crossings, but for fictive or virtual motion main-verb semantics is employed. Finally, Lamkang spatial encoding employs a venitive which acts as a narrative device to locate the center of action. KEYWORDS Lamkang, absolute reference, aristomorphic reference, fic...
Closing remarks for the 4th International Conference on Documentation and Conservation, held at t... more Closing remarks for the 4th International Conference on Documentation and Conservation, held at the Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu, Hawai'i, February 26-March 1, 2015.
This chapter provides an overview of primary motivations for linguistic fieldwork, language descr... more This chapter provides an overview of primary motivations for linguistic fieldwork, language description, and language documentation. The work of Franz Boas, Edward Sapir, Mary Haas, John Peabody Harrington, Dell Hymes, and Joel Sherzer continue to influence methods of data collection and the types of data language documenters collect. We discuss three broad motivations for language documentation: documenting language use/language and culture, understanding human cognition, and describing language structure. We discuss three methodologies related to these motivations: ethnography of communication, experimental methods, and eliciting targeted constructions. The discussion also contrasts four nonacademic motivations for language documentation: Christian proselytizing, community language revitalization efforts, personal reward and fulfillment, and humanitarian service.
Slides from the symposium and panel discussion at the event "Data Citation and Attribution f... more Slides from the symposium and panel discussion at the event "Data Citation and Attribution for Reproducible Research in Linguistics," Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Austin, TX, 5 January 2017.
Abstract Language archives are repositories of language data: material about or in a set of langu... more Abstract Language archives are repositories of language data: material about or in a set of languages, including audio and video recordings, transcriptions, translations, and linguistic annotations. Beyond their value for academic applications, digital availability of language data holds potential to support language and cultural revitalization and maintenance. Until recently, language archives have not been considered in information science research. This article reports the first empirical investigation of various dimensions of organization and representation of recorded knowledge and information in language archives. The study used a combination of semi-structured interviews and content analysis. Results demonstrate that, while some of the phenomena related to organization of information in language archives are specific to these types of archives, others are more typical and have been addressed by libraries in past research and practice. For example, authority control, sustainability, and software interoperability are among the primary issues identified by our study. This paper discusses the metadata-related opportunities and challenges for language archive managers and depositors observed in this study, and suggests directions for future research in this area.
A number of Tibeto-Burman languages exhibit morphological ergative alignment, while others clearl... more A number of Tibeto-Burman languages exhibit morphological ergative alignment, while others clearly do not. In these languages, matters of information structure determine core argument marking. Specifically, both A and S marking may be used to indicate topic, contrastive topic, broad focus, and/or contrastive focus. It is most often A or S, not P, that is assigned such status and between A and S, it is most often A that takes marking. Preference for topic or focus marking on A creates the impression of ergative alignment, but an ergative alignment analysis is untenable as S may be marked under the same conditions and with the same morpheme as A. Considerations of discourse-level clause interpretation in Tibetan, Meitei, and Burmese show that information structure not transitivity determines A and S marking. The presence or absence of marking based on information structure is characterized as “unique differential marking”, distinguishing it from the differential marking observed in er...
English used in novels by Indian authors reinforces the status of Indian English as a substandard... more English used in novels by Indian authors reinforces the status of Indian English as a substandard variety. This is demonstrated through the analysis of who uses standard and who uses Indian English in Indian English-fiction.
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In this chapter, I will assume that the documenters are community members and academic researchers working together with shared goals and methods and I will further assume that the language to be documented has average vitality by UNESCO standards. That is, a majority of the population speaks the language even though most children are multilingual and use the language in limited domains; there is a writing system but not much by way of written literature or grammatical description; and although government educational policies do not support maintenance of the language, the community is interested in creating documentation towards revitalization.1 With this scenario in mind, I review factors which can impact the planning and implementation of a language documentation project. These factors are: immediate and long-term goals; the composition and effective management of the team undertaking the documentation; funding to support the required activities; technological proficiency and linguistic expertise; preparation for onsite and offsite data collection; data management; personnel management; and results dissemination.
experience, which is necessary for data collection, and the process of discovery and analysis that leads to the description of the target language. In order for our record of language structures to be as accurate as possible, data collection is best conducted using rigorous methodology. The goal of language description is often not to capture just one speaker’s internal grammar but to represent prevalent patterns for a community of speakers. In that sense, grammatical description is “fake” in that no one speaker will instantiate all the structures described in the grammar; at the same time, however, the grammar is “real” because the facts described therein are accepted by most speakers as accurately representing their language. The main product of descriptive fieldwork, whether a grammar or a targeted description of particular parts of a grammar, must therefore include data from a variety of speakers, favoring the most frequent patterns and noting common variations based on social or contextual factors.
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In this chapter, I will assume that the documenters are community members and academic researchers working together with shared goals and methods and I will further assume that the language to be documented has average vitality by UNESCO standards. That is, a majority of the population speaks the language even though most children are multilingual and use the language in limited domains; there is a writing system but not much by way of written literature or grammatical description; and although government educational policies do not support maintenance of the language, the community is interested in creating documentation towards revitalization.1 With this scenario in mind, I review factors which can impact the planning and implementation of a language documentation project. These factors are: immediate and long-term goals; the composition and effective management of the team undertaking the documentation; funding to support the required activities; technological proficiency and linguistic expertise; preparation for onsite and offsite data collection; data management; personnel management; and results dissemination.
experience, which is necessary for data collection, and the process of discovery and analysis that leads to the description of the target language. In order for our record of language structures to be as accurate as possible, data collection is best conducted using rigorous methodology. The goal of language description is often not to capture just one speaker’s internal grammar but to represent prevalent patterns for a community of speakers. In that sense, grammatical description is “fake” in that no one speaker will instantiate all the structures described in the grammar; at the same time, however, the grammar is “real” because the facts described therein are accepted by most speakers as accurately representing their language. The main product of descriptive fieldwork, whether a grammar or a targeted description of particular parts of a grammar, must therefore include data from a variety of speakers, favoring the most frequent patterns and noting common variations based on social or contextual factors.