Topic: Non-arbitrariness in language and grammar: ideophones and prosodic indices in Anal Naga
Date: 9th December, 13:30 CET
Abstract: A common assumption in the study of language is the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign, namely that there is no natural connection between the linguistic form and its meaning: one cannot predict the meaning of the word from its form, and another form would be equally suitable to express this meaning (as long as it is phonologically acceptable). Recent linguistic research has challenged this view as an absolute principle of language structure, demonstrating that although the core part of the lexicon is arbitrary, the overall system combines signs of different kinds. In particular, ideophones and expressives – items that exhibit deviant and naturally salient form such as tip top, hip hop, zigzag, or helter skelter – play a central role in this research. Although such items have been traditionally marginalized in research due to their marginal status in European languages, they form a salient class in many world languages and reveal important aspects of the nature of language and communication. Similarly, deviant prosodic markers are omnipresent but are commonly overlooked. Markers of this kind are also found across the languages of Northeast India and exhibit peculiar, often typologically unusual and theoretically important properties. This talk will discuss the role of non-arbitrary prosody and morphology in grammar and lexicon, drawing primarily on examples from Anal Naga, a South-Central language of Manipur.
Link: https://tinyurl.com/2wvyw3s5
ID: 846 6276 1287
Password: TiB912