LINGUIST List 11.2350

Mon Oct 30 2000

Qs: Socioling/Modern Romania, Quotative Inversion

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.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

  • Oanagu, Language change in contemporary Romanians
  • Chris Collins, Quotative Inversion

    Message 1: Language change in contemporary Romanians

     Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 11:49:41 EST
    From: Oanagu <Oanaguaol.com>
    Subject: Language change in contemporary Romanians


    Dear Linguists,

    I am studying sociolinguistics aspects of Contemporary Romanian, as the use of the language by the media, internet, and other "new" technologies and techniques, the attitudes language change induces among politics, media, linguists, writers and common people.

    I have looked for similar topics before anything else, and I didn't find any interesting information. Language change in contemporary Romanian (since 1989) is a very recent and difficult sociolinguistic subject, for me as for all east european linguists facing change in their language after the fall of "communist" societies, so I am not surprised not to find much about it.

    I'm afraid I cannot be more specific because my area of study is emerging while I'm studying it, and I am genuinely interested about anything having to do with language change related to social change, and especially to contemporary change in post-communist east european countries.

    Thank you for your collaboration,

    Oana GULEI

    Message 2: Quotative Inversion

     Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 13:51:41 -0500
    From: Chris Collins <cc42cornell.edu>
    Subject: Quotative Inversion


    Dear Editors,

    This is a question for the Linguist List:

    I am interested in whether languages other than English show the transitivity constraint in quotative inversion. This constraint is illustrated below:

    (1) a. "I am so happy," Mary said to John b. "I am so happy," said Mary to John

    (2) a. "I am so happy," Mary told John b. *"I am so happy," told Mary John

    (3) a. "What is the exchange rate?" Mary asked of John b. "What is the exchange rate?" asked Mary of John

    (4) a. "What is the exchange rate?" Mary asked John b. *"What is the exchange rate?" asked Mary John

    As the data in (2b) and (4b) show, a verb in a double object construction cannot undergo quotative inversion. I am interested in finding other languages that show a similar pattern. I suspect that languages with a productive V/2 strategy will not have the transitivity constraint, since QI in those languages should also trigger V/2. I will post a summary of the responses that I receive.

    Chris Collins cc42cornell.edu