LINGUIST List 7.1116

Tue Aug 6 1996

Qs: Final consonants, Pinker interview, Specific/generic ref.

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. cpeustgwdg.de, Qu: final consonants only?
2. Deborah Schmidt, Q: Pinker interview video
3. Deborah Schmidt, Specific/generic reference

Dear linguists,

many languages in the world admit only vowels at the end of a word
(and at the end of a syllable as well): Japanese, Italian, most or all
Bantu languages, proto-Slavic etc.etc. Does anyone of you know
whether there are languages in which all words and/or syllables must
end in a consonant? I will be thankful four your help. If enough
answers come in, I will provide a summary.

Carsten Peust
Seminar of Egyptology and Coptology
Goettingen
cpeustgwdu20.gwdg.de or cpeustgwdg.de

Dear linguists,

About a year ago I watched a video of a long interview with Steven
Pinker. I believe it is available for purchase. Do any of you know a
phone number or email or other contact address for the distributor?
Thank you very much for assisting me.

Debbie Schmidt

Dear linguists,
In my English Grammar course, I tell my students that _my favorite
(breed of) dog_ in (1) and (2) has neither specific nor generic
reference, since it's a predicate, not an argument.
 (1) The beagle is my favorite breed of dog.
 (2) Spop is my favorite dog.
Am I correct? And what about the following sentences?
 (3) My favorite breed of dog is the beagle.
 (4) My favorite dog is Spop.
Which NP is the subject, and which the predicate? What does the
following contrast tell us?
 (5) Spop is the beagle. / The beagle is Spop.
 (6) Spop is a beagle. / *A beagle is Spop.
I will post a summary of responses if interest warrants.
 Debbie Schmidt
 dschmidtuga.cc.uga.edu