LINGUIST List 14.2494

Fri Sep 19 2003

FYI: Linguistics Closing at Durham; IPA Symbols

Editor for this issue: Laura Payne <paynelinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. s.j.hannahsdurham.ac.uk>, Closure of linguistics at Durham
2. Hartmut Traunm�ller, IPA symbols

 
 Closure of Linguistics at Durham
 
 In previous postings to LINGUIST (14.1751 and 14.1887) we announced the
 proposals by the University of Durham (UK) to close its highly successful
 and internationally respected Department of Linguistics and English
 Language. We have been very gratified over the past three months with the
 amount of support and solidarity we have been shown by the linguistics
 community. University administrators themselves have commented that they
 were surprised by the number of letters they received on our behalf.
 
 Nevertheless, the university administration has chosen to ignore our
 research rating, our teaching excellence, our international standing and
 the arguments of the worldwide community of linguists. It is with deep
 regret that we let you know that the University Executive Council has
 decided to close the Department of Linguistics and English Language at the
 University of Durham. No redeployment is being proposed, although
 negotiations are apparently in progress with the University of Newcastle
 upon Tyne, with a view to transferring the linguists at Durham to that
 institution. However, that move would require the full support (including
 financial backing) of the government body that funds higher education.
 
 We will keep the list informed of any further developments. Once again, we
 would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all our supporters.
 
 

At http://www.ling.su.se/fon/IPA-tecken.htm, you can access IPAKLICK,
a tool that makes it easy to insert strings of IPA-symbols (Unicode)
into a text.

The site also contains links to free Unicode fonts that include the
IPA-symbols and to 'superlinguistic' names for consonants, in which
the coarticulatory and perceptual effects of consonants on vowels are
exploited.

Hartmut Traunm�ller
Linguistics
Stockholm University