LINGUIST List 8.828

Tue Jun 3 1997

Qs: Phonetics, Nicknames, Engl, Span

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <annlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Karen S. Chung, Phonetics texts
2. KIM DAMMERS, baby nicknames
3. Shravan Vasishth, English `a' versus `some'
4. Elena Bogomilova Lozanova, NOMINALIZATION IN SPANISH

	I am about to put together a course on practical phonetics for
future high school English language teachers in Taiwan. The course is
also supposed to include pronunciation and intonation practice, with
the intention of helping to break the cycle of poor pronunciation
being passed down from teacher to student, generation after
generation. Does anybody have any suggestions regarding what textbooks
to use? Please write to me privately and I will post a summary.

	Happy estivating,

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

					 

I am doing a research project on "standard" or "usual" nicknames for
babies (e.g., Pumpkin in the US Mid-West, Mduschen in Germany and
Austria, and Gordo in Spain). In particular, I would like examples
from lesser known languages--especially from hunter-and-gatherer
societies or horticultural ones. At present, I have over 100 names
from over 50 language units (i.e., a regional or national expression
of a language).

 For each name, I am looking for the original spelling if it is in
roman alphabet, phonetic spelling and meaning if any as well as
language unit.
 I also would appreciate as much "framing" information as possible:
e.g., sex of baby (and explanation of relevant linguistic factors such
as declination ), who uses the name, when/where it is used, age of
baby, how the baby gets the name, any taboos, who might know the
nickname for an individual baby, address or reference or both, is the
nickname a normal word in the language of the speakers (or a non-word
that does(or does not) follow the phonetic rules, etc.) or a loan
word, how common is the nickname? What is Your source
(ling. fieldwork, ethnographic fieldwork, You are a native of the
culture, chancehearing as a tourist, etc.)? Obviously, this is asking
a lot, but even if all you have is the information asked in the
preceding paragraph, it will help!

KIM DAMMERS, Institute of Ethnology, University of Gvttingen, Germany. 
kdammershotmail.com


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Could someone direct me to literature concerned with the semantics of
English `a' contrasted with English `some'? Of course, details of
relevant literature dealing with any language other than English would
also be most welcome.

I would appreciate it if you could e-mail me directly, I will 
post a summary if appropriate.

Many thanks in advance,

- 
Shravan Vasishth

University address:
Dept. of Linguistics, OSU, 1712 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, (USA)
Office Phone: (1-614)-292-3802

Home [and preferred mailing] address: 
549 Harley Drive #10, Columbus, OH 43202, (USA)
Home phone/fax: (1-614)-268-8217

Can anyone refer us to studies on processes of nominalization,
especially of infinitivs, in Spanish? Please, send your answers to

ebogomilestud.colmex.mx

I will send a summary of the answers to the list. 
Thanks in advance,

Elena Bogomilova Lozanova