LINGUIST List 15.1587

Tue May 18 2004

Qs: Ling/Non-Majors; Language System Omissions

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Directory

  • Elizabeth Grace Winkler, linguistics for non-majors
  • Frederick J Newmeyer, Things that no languages do

    Message 1: linguistics for non-majors

     Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 13:03:07 -0700
    From: Elizabeth Grace Winkler <winkler2email.arizona.edu>
    Subject: linguistics for non-majors


    Hello Folks, I'm collecting some data on basic courses in linguistics offered to non-majors. I've received some info and posted the results. I'd like to broaden the question a little bit. Off-list please let me know if your university offers an introductory undergrad class in linguistics to non-majors, either as a department class or as a university-wide general education class. If you could give the approximate yearly enrollment, that would be helpful as well. I'll post the list when completed. Thank you and happy summer vacation to everyone!

    Elizabeth Grace Winkler Dept. of Linguistics Douglass Bldg. 200E. University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721

    Message 2: Things that no languages do

     Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 16:25:05 -0700 (PDT)
    From: Frederick J Newmeyer <fjnu.washington.edu>
    Subject: Things that no languages do


    I am interested in collecting examples of phenomena that are not found in any language in the world (as far as we know), where there is no OBVIOUS functional explanation for that fact. Here is an example of the sort of phenomenon that I am looking for: In no language do grammatical processes pay attention to 'third position' (though of course 'second position' is often important). I suspect also that there are many conceivable syntax- phonology and semantics-phonology interactions that are logically possible and not obviously dysfunctional, but which never occur.

    If anybody has examples of this sort (or, even better, knows if there already exist compilations of them), I would be very grateful to know about them. I'll summarize.

    Fritz Newmeyer fjnu.washington.edu