LINGUIST List 7.1486

Wed Oct 23 1996

Calls: Concept of reference, External possession

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

Directory

1. Ami Kronfeld, Call for Papers: Concept of Reference
2. EBARSHIclipr.Colorado.EDU, EP/NI conference announcement and call for papers

**** CALL FOR PAPERS ****

Pragmatics & Cognition announces a special issue on

The Concept of Reference in the Cognitive Sciences

Guest Editors: Ami Kronfeld and Lawrence Roberts

TOPICS:

The mind's ability to think of objects in the world, the properties of
language that allow it to represent such objects and the ability of
human beings to indicate to each other which of these objects they
wish to talk about are all parts of the central concept of Reference.
Not surprisingly, the cognitive sciences, including developmental
psychology, theoretical and computational linguistics, artificial
intelligence and of course the philosophy of language and mind have
all dealt --- under different terminology and from different
perspectives --- with aspects of this concept.

This special issue of Pragmatics & Cognition is intended to bring
together the various cognitive disciplines in a joint discussion of
the concept of reference and the act of referring. Given the focus of
this journal, we would encourage authors to emphasize the
interrelation between mental (cognitive) and linguistic (semiotic)
activities involved in referring. Of particular interest are the
following topics (although other topics related to reference will be
considered as well):

*	Reference and joint attention.
*	The cognitive development of referring skills.
*	Attentional states in computational models of discourse.
*	Computational and other models of the speech act of referring
*	Implications of the philosophical debate about reference for the
cognitive sciences.
*	Reference and institutional facts.

We especially welcome studies that bring considerations from two or
more cognitive disciplines to bear on the topic of reference.

SUBMISSION:

Papers should be submitted strictly following the journal's Guidelines
for Authors (available from the guest editors) in three identical
copies, sent to each of the following addresses:

Dr. Ami Kronfeld
AmiKmicrosoft.com
2001 Lincoln St.
Berkeley, CA 94709
USA

Prof. Lawrence Roberts
larryturing.paccs.binghamton.edu
Program in Philosophy, Computers and Cognitive Science
State University of New York
Binghamton, NY 13902
USA

Prof. Marcelo Dascal
dascalspinoza.tau.ac.il
Dean, The Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities
Tel-Aviv University
69978 Tel-Aviv
Israel


DEADLINE: June 1, 1997

Prospective contributors are encouraged to contact the guest editors
(to whom all inquiries should be addressed) well in advanced of the
deadline.

ABOUT PRAGMATICS & COGNITION:

Pragmatics & Cognition's basic assumption is that the proper
understanding of mental life and inter-personal relations requires an
intensive and thoughtful exchange of views across disciplines.
Pragmatics & Cognition is designed for those seeking to widen their
perspective through such an exchange.

		** Preliminary Announcement and Call for Papers **

			Conference on External Possessor
				 and related
 			 Noun Incorporation Phenomena

		 Eugene, Oregon, 7-10 September, 1997
	 Hosted by the Department of Linguistics, University of Oregon

This interdisciplinary and international conference seeks to explore
typological limits on, and theoretical approaches to, External
Possession (including "possessor ascension," "ethical datives" used
for possession, etc.); and the type of Noun Incorporation that shows
semantic and syntactic connections to External Possession. Included
will be consideration of semantic, grammatical relation, and
functional constraints on External Possession constructions. (See
fuller discussion below.)

The conference will include papers from invited speakers, papers
selected via abstract submission (see below), and ample time for
focused, moderated discussion on specific research questions.

Invited speakers and discussants include: Judith Aissen, Mark Baker,
Immanuel Barshi, Melissa Bowerman, Hilary Chappell, Bill Croft, Mark
Durie, Zygmunt Frajzyngier, Donna Gerdts, Martin Haspelmath, Suzanne
Kemmer, Jack Martin, William McGregor, Marianne Mithun, Pamela Munro,
Doris Payne, Tom Payne, Noel Rude, Maura Velasquez-Castillo, and
Roberto Zavala.

We anticipate room for 10 to 15 additional papers in the conference
program. These will be selected by reviewers from submitted
abstracts. Abstracts for 20 minute presentations should be one to two
pages in length, and should address in sufficient depth how the paper
contributes to one or more of the conference foci (see below).

		Deadline for abstract submission is March 15, 1997.

Please send 3 hard copies or an e-mail copy of the abstract to:

	Doris Payne
	Department of Linguistics
	University of Oregon
	Eugene, OR 97403
	dlpayneoregon.uoregon.edu


Registration and accommodation information will be sent out at a later
date. A nominal registration fee will be charged. This conference
will be followed by the meeting of The Association for Linguistic
Typology, (September 11-14). (For more information about ALT II,
contact Johan van der Auwera: auwerauia.ua.ac.be)


BACKGROUND

External Possession has often been referred to as "Possessor Raising,"
"Possessor Ascension," or "Dative of Interest," depending on one's
theoretical bias and the language family involved. We use the term
"External Possession" to refer to any construction in which a
possessive relationship is necessarily entailed between two
participants, where the possessor is expressed externally to the
constituent which contains the possessed item. The possessor may or
may not be simultaneously expressed by a pronoun, clitic, or affix
internal to the NP which contains the possessed item, but this NP-
internal coding cannot be the only expression of the possessor.
Additionally, a lexical predicate, such as 'have,' 'own,' or 'be
located at' cannot be the only expression of the possessor-possessed
relationship for the construction to qualify as an EP construction.

There appears to be a close relationship between External Possession
and at least some Noun Incorporation phenomena. For example, if EP is
possible in a language at all, the external possessor can be construed
as possessing body part objects of transitive verbs. Similarly, if NI
is possible at all, it will include the incorporation of body part
objects of transitive verbs, potentially leaving the understood
possessor of the incorporated body part outside the verb.

EP phenomena have been reported on in scattered ways in the literature
and appear to be widely found in languages around the world. However,
so far there has been no focused discussion of its typological
parameters, or its theoretical treatment. This conference aims to
bring together researchers of differing theoretical persuasions and
wide typological experience so that we can effectively explore
multiple dimensions of the phenomenon.

CONFERENCE FOCI

The conference will specifically seek to explore the following:

* The semantics and pragmatics of EP and associated NI constructions:
- With what semantic roles can an external possessor be construed
 /interpreted? (e.g., just Theme? Any semantic role?)

- With what range of noun types can EP/NI constructions be formed?
 (e.g., just body parts, inalienably possessed items, anything?)

- Affectedness, "contrast", topicality, or other features of the 	
 possessor or other participants associated with choice of EP/NI 	
 construction.

* The morphosyntax of EP constructions:
- With what grammatical relations can an external possessor be
 construed? (e.g., just direct objects? Absolutives? Any core
 grammatical relation?)

- In what grammatical relation or case form is an EP expressed?
 (e.g., direct object, subject, dative?)

- Are there observed preferences cross-linguistically on the encoding of
 external possessors? If so, what is the motivation for the observed
 preferences? What would account for alternative minority patterns?

* EP/NI and voice, argument structure or event structure changes.

* EP/NI and associations with applicative and causative constructions.

* The implication of EP/NI constructions for theories of syntax, and
 the semantics-pragmatics-syntax interface.

* The acquisition of EP/NI and their implications for theories of
 language acquisition.

* Cognitive demands in the processing (both discourse and sentence
 levels) of EP and NI constructions and the implications to models of
 language comprehension.

* Diachronic rise and grammaticalization path of EP/NI constructions.


For further information, contact one of the conference organizers:
	Doris Payne (541-346-3894, dlpayneoregon.uoregon.edu)
	Immanuel Barshi (303-492-7059, barshipsych.colorado.edu)