LINGUIST List 7.256

Sat Feb 17 1996

Qs: Software for Arabic, The sign, Grammatical number

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

Directory

1. Malek Ghenima, Arabic Version of Word 6 for Windows
2. "Karen S. Chung",
3. "Alan R. King", Q: Grammatical number

Dear LINGUIST

I would like to know Where I can Find an Arabic Version of Word 6 under 
Windows 
Thanks

Malek

	I have recently discovered a source of intriguing cross-linguistic
metaphor: the  sign.
	Probably few people besides grocers and beginning typists ever
paid much attention to the  before the advent of e-mail; but now need is
being felt to find a convenient and clear way to refer to the symbol in
every language spoken where the Net has extended its tentacles.
	In English it is simply called an 'at' sign, though I have heard
it erroneously referred to more than once as an 'ampersand' (&; I think
because _ampersand_ sounds nice and Latinate - _and per se and_, according
to Webster's). When rattling off an e-mail address, I may also add, "you
know, that 'a' with a circle around it?" for clarity. 
	Other languages make poetry of the sign. In Mandarin Chinese,  is
called either _xiao3 lao3shu3_, 'little mouse', or _lao3shu3 hao4_, 'mouse
sign'. (Note how the tail curls cozily around the it.)
	Germans call it _Klammeraffe_, 'bracket-monkey', or _Ohr_, 'ear'
(the latter sounds like a very Chinese kind of metaphor to me).
	In Spanish, it's _arroba_, a unit of measure for 25 lb.
	This has gotten me to wondering what  is called in other
languages. 
	I'd really appreciate it if you'd write to me personally and tell
me what  is called in your language or languages you know. Please include
a literal gloss of the term, and pronunciation key, if possible. Maybe
also a note on how current the term actually is, and how long ago you
first heard it.
	I will post a summary.
	A happy Chinese New Year to you all! 

					 Karen Steffen Chung		
					 National Taiwan University	
					 karchungccms.ntu.edu.tw

					

I am thinking of writing something on the grammatical number system
(singular, plural and things like that) in Basque. Before doing so I
would like to have a look at the pertinent linguistics literature to
learn of current theories and work on this part of grammar, and more
especially the more typologically/funcionally/semantically oriented
parts thereof. The amount of such literature I have on hand here
being quite limited, and my access to appropriate libraries being only
sporadic, I would be most grateful for a helping hand in the form of
some good bibliographical references on the subject, so that when I
next get to the library I may make efficient use of it.

Incidentally, it is with great joy and delight that I have seen the
spate of book-length surveys on such basic grammatical topics as this
being produced by major publishers. (You know the ones I mean: titles
like "Gender", "Ergativity", "Tense", "Mood and Modality",
"Grammatical Relations"...). This is wonderful; if only we had had
this sort of thing years ago! Since we can't specialize in everything
these days, I'm sure many, many linguists find these books as
invaluable as brush-up guides, reference resources or sources of
renewed inspiration as I am doing. So to all the Palmers, Comries,
and the rest of you out there: keep up the good work! However, I do
not know of any such volume yet published that covers the subject I'm
asking about here, although Corbett's _Gender_ mentions it
"circumstantially". Or have I missed one?

I promise to summarise if I receive anything worth summarising (as I'm
fully confident I shall); besides my request for references, I will
also welcome and respond to any general discussion on the topic
mentioned.

Alan R. King
Zarautz
Gipuzkoa, Basque Country
mccayjet.es