LINGUIST List 7.764

Sun May 26 1996

Qs: Prolog,Address,Search,Fricatives,Fonts,Acquisition

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <dseelyemunix.emich.edu>

Directory

1. Carole TIBERIUS, morphological formalisms in Prolog
2. John Hutton, Address information
3. E. Wayles Browne, Hofstadter, "waterstuff"
4. Wim Zonneveld, onset fricatives
5. MARC PICARD, Phonetic fonts
6. John Konopak, Query: Language Acquisition and Ideology

Dear Linguist,


I'm looking for morphological formalisms (preferably two-level based)
in Prolog that are suitable for generation. It has to be integrated
in a Quintus Prolog environment.
Any suggestions are welcome.

Carole Tiberius

<tiberius-carolediogenes.hcuge.ch>
University Hospital Geneva
Department of Medical Informatics
24 rue Micheli-du-Crest
CH-1211 Geneva
Switzerland

 A few weeks ago I had a postcard from a Canadian academic
requesting a copy of my paper "Optimality Theory and historical
language change" which I have just given at the 4th Phonology
Workshop at the University of Manchester. Unfortunately, I've lost
the postcard. I think his name was Arthur C. Walker and he is at
Calgary. If he'd like to send me his address via e-mail, I'll send him
a copy of my paper ASAP.

 Thanks.

 John Hutton.
 -------------------------
 Department of English,
 University of Manchester,
 Oxford Rd,
 Manchester,
 M19 2TJ,
 ENGLAND.

 e-mail: mfcstjhfs1.art.man.ac.uk

Can anyone help me locate a recent paper by Douglas Hofstadter
on compound words? It quotes the science-fiction writer Poul Anderson,
who imagined a version of English using only items of English origin,
and saying e.g. "waterstuff" for hydrogen. Please write to me directly,
at ewb2cornell.edu - thanks!

Wayles Browne, Assoc. Prof. of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics
Morrill Hall, Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853, U.S.A.
tel. 607-255-0712 (o), 607-273-3009 (h)
fax 607-255-2044 (write FOR W. BROWNE)
e-mail ewb2cornell.edu

Is there anyone out there who can supply us with the following information.
Child speech seems to have a constraint banning fricatives (or perhaps more
generally continuants) specifically from onsets though not from coda's.
Example: E. ish for fish (deletion), D(utch) nis for vis (substitiion).
Is there an example of a language in which this condition simply holds for
adult speech? So e.g. plosives (noncontinuants) in onsets, the whole range
in coda's; or variants thereof). Please observe that we are looking for
languages critically allowing closed syllables. If they have open syllables
only, the issue is irrelevant.
Wim Zonneveld
Research Institute for Language and Speech
Utrecht University

 If anybody out there is using the TT font Times Phonetic IPA
(not IPA Times!), could you tell me what the trick is to get the diacritics
to go on or under the symbols instead of before or after? I've used a
number of other phonetic fonts (SIL Doulos, IPA Kiel, Lucinda, Palphon, etc.),
and I've never encountered this problem before.

Marc Picard

 I am interested in examining the relationship of language
acquisition--especially second languages--and ideology. That is, whether or
not LX2 learners are sensitive to the embedded (and usually covert, in the
sense that JP Gee uses the term) iterations and representations of approved
values of the "host" culture that provide a context for the learners'
efforts to master the new language. I am referring to more or less formal
situations wherein language instruction on idiomatic (English) usage would
be situated in what I would call didactic (possibly even "_Bildungs_")
narratives. 
 These are texts which focus on (potentially) problematic (English)
usages--such as the present continuous ("I'm _going to_ be a teacher") by
"using" them repetitively in "stories" designed for high interest appeal.
The ones I am familiar with rather resemble "Dick and Jane" stories, except
that instead of being directed at socializing (future) elite/bourgeoise as
D&J were, these are (apparently) written for the use (and indoctrination) of
the new immigrant service/working classes. Unlike "D&J," the presentational/
expository mode is often by way of "speech/idea balloons" (as in comic books
- which provide the most frequent literacy opportunities in the countries
and cultures from which the intended clients arrive),along with (sometimes)
straight-forward exposition. 
 They are books/texts designed especially for the purpose of
instruction, possessing a (deceptively?) simple story line, plot,
characters, etc., but which also (re)present constructions of their intended
audience/users/readers in ways approved by dominant culture. (_Pace_!).
Requiring only a very limited reading vocabulary (300 words or so), they
appear to be consciously crafted to frame their lessons in high interest
topics (Elvis, Pele, Rock Stars). I've spent considerable time analyzing
several of these texts already, but I hope to find out (1) how common-place
such or similar interventions are, (2) is there a literature on their
use/efficacy, and (3) whether any such or similar texts been examined for
their (covert) ideological presentations (a la JP Gee)--because these strike
me as recruiting manuals for an under/servant class (R. Newman's _My Life Is
Good_ on TROUBLE IN PARADISE). Thanks in advance for any assistance!!
SEAUD'BEACH
jpk 
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 |	| / |__/		John Konopak	
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