LINGUIST List 5.314

Mon 21 Mar 1994

Qs: Structure vs. garage, Employee classification, Wolfgang Behr

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1. Alec Marantz, Query: Parking Structure vs. Parking Garage
2. , Q: How our employing institutions classify us
3. "RANDY J. LAPOLLA", Re: Wolfgang Behr

In a recent conversation, the issue arose of where different names are
used for a multi-level building for parking cars.
We assume here, perhaps incorrectly, that certain differences in the
construction of the building are irrelevant for naming purposes, e.g.,
whether the levels are open on the sides. Other differences may be
relevant and should be systematically varied when consulting your
intuitions, e.g., does it matter whether all the floors for parking are
below ground? Does it matter whether the building is exclusively for
parking or if there are offices or a mall built over the parking levels?

So, the question: In what parts of the country and under what
circumstances would one utter, "parking structure" for such a building?
Where and when would one say, "parking garage" or simply, "garage"? One
of my isoglossing colleagues insists that "parking structure" is
restricted to California, while I believe one finds a wider distribution
for this term, stretching at least well into the mid-west.

About a month ago, Alexis Manaster-Ramer posted a query with the
subject line "How our institutions classify us." The query that
followed, while interesting and important, was not what I had expected
it to be. It was actually about how institutions of linguistics treat
linguists as falling into one of three categories, relating to how
close they are to current theoretical work.

But on reading the subject line, my immediate response was, "My
employing institution classifies me as an engineer." Recent
discussion of life in the lingusitics periphery has re-ignited my
curiosity to know how other self-perceived linguists' employing
institutions regard them. For example, I know that there are many out
there who consider themselves (primarily) linguists, but whose job
title would be Professor of ESL, Professor of German, French, etc., or
Speech Pathologist. There may even be a few other engineers.

Just for my own curiosity, I'd like to know the range of institutional
designations of those whose primary self-identification would be as a
linguist. This might also be of interest to linguists who want to
know about job possibilities in related fields. This won't be a
scientific sampling, since I don't expect too many linguists to bother
to write and say, "I consider myself to be a linguist, and my
employing institution classifies me as a linguist." But it will be
interesting to see what the range of responses is.

Please respond to me directly. If there is sufficient response and
interest, I'll post a summary to Linguist.

 Dale Russell
 russellukraine.corp.mot.com

I have checked all the relevant lists, so ask you to please
post the following message:

Can anyone tell me Wolfgang Behr's e-mail address, or if not, if
he is still at the University of Frankfurt?

Randy LaPolla
Institute of History and Philology
Academia Sinica