LINGUIST List 10.454

Sat Mar 27 1999

Qs: Spanish, Sign Language, Timing

Editor for this issue: Jody Huellmantel <jodylinguistlist.org>



We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

Directory

  • Heather Bentley, Spanish subjunctive endings -ra/-se
  • Nobukatsu Minoura, Russian Sign Language
  • Andries Coetzee, Syllable-timed and stress-timed

    Message 1: Spanish subjunctive endings -ra/-se

     Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 21:55:43 -0800
    From: Heather Bentley <h2omarkadnc.com>
    Subject: Spanish subjunctive endings -ra/-se


    In the following Spanish sentence two forms are possible: "Deseaba que llegara/llegase Juan" This translates roughly to "I hoped for Juan to arrive" Most of the grammars I have consulted simply explain the two forms as depending upon the whim of the speaker, but I am wondering what grammatical/discourse conditions might be responsible. Any thoughts or references would be helpful.

    Heather Bentley h2omarkadnc.com

    Message 2: Russian Sign Language

     Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 17:48:01 +0900
    From: Nobukatsu Minoura <minourafs.tufs.ac.jp>
    Subject: Russian Sign Language


    Dear colleagues,

    I am a Japanese linguist who is studying Japanese Sign Language. (In undergraduate, I majored in Russian.)

    Does anybody here know if there is anybody who is studying Russian Sign Language (russkij jazyk nemyx-gluxix) in Russia? (Or any other signed languages in other Slavic countries?)

    I appreciate any pieces of information.

    Please write directly to mailto:minourafs.tufs.ac.jp. And I will post a summary if I receive enough relevant responses.

    Sincerely yours,

    Nobukatsu Minoura

    ----------------------------------------------- Nobukatsu Minoura, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Nishigahara 4-51-21, Kita-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN 114-8580 Phone: +81-3-5974-3550 (wk), Fax: +81-3-5974-3637 (c/o Goken) Phone/fax: +81-3-3377-3275 (hm) mailto:minourafs.tufs.ac.jp (wk), mailto:nobumgol.com (hm)

    Message 3: Syllable-timed and stress-timed

     Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 15:07:57 +0200
    From: Andries Coetzee <KLSAWCpuknet.puk.ac.za>
    Subject: Syllable-timed and stress-timed


    Dear Linguists

    A colleague and I are working on a project about the rhythmic differences between English and Tswana, and the influence that this has on the English of Tswana first language speakers. We strongly suspect that Tswana should be classified in the group of languages that tend to be syllable-timed, and that the rhythmic patterns of Tswana will therefore differ from that of English (which is stress-timed).

    We have done an extensive literature search on the topic of stress/syllable-timing and found many useful sources. However, most of the literature that we could locate date from before 1990. We are convinced that there must be countless more recent sources. We will appreciate it if you can direct us to any literature that you deem relevant, both pre and post 1990, but especially post 1990.

    Any other comments about the topic in general are also welcome.

    I will post a summary to the list.

    Thank you in advance

    Andries Coetzee

    Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education Potchefstroom, South Africa E-mail: klsawcpuknet.puk.ac.za