LINGUIST List 15.806

Sun Mar 7 2004

Qs: Null Subject Langs; Word Boundary Phonemes

Editor for this issue: Naomi Fox <foxlinguistlist.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.

In addition to posting a summary, we'd like to remind people that it is usually a good idea to personally thank those individuals who have taken the trouble to respond to the query.

To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.html.

Directory

  • Christopher Johns, Null subject languages
  • Yuri Tambovtsev, the study of the occurrency of sounds

    Message 1: Null subject languages

    Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 10:57:47 -0500 (EST)
    From: Christopher Johns <c.s.r.johnsdurham.ac.uk>
    Subject: Null subject languages


    I'd like to hear from linguists working on the following languages: Alyawarr, Caviteno, Duka, Garo, Indonesian (Betawi), Malagasy, Timugon (Murut), Rao, Sre, Yessan-Mayo.

    Specifically, I'd like to know if these languages allow null subjects, and if so, in what situations. Secondary sources on these languages appear to contradict the descriptive grammars I have consulted in this respect, so I'm keen to get information from linguists familiar with these languages first hand.

    Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

    Chris Johns

    Message 2: the study of the occurrency of sounds

    Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 20:25:25 +0600
    From: Yuri Tambovtsev <yutambmail.cis.ru>
    Subject: the study of the occurrency of sounds


    Dear Linguist List colleagues, I'm studying the frequency of occurrence of sounds (phonemes) at the beginning and end of the word in different world languages now. I wonder if you can tell me who studies it and where it is published. In many Turkic languages the frequency of some groups of consonants and vowels is quite different at the beginning and end of the word. So far, I have studied Turkish, Tatar-Baraba, Tatar-Kazan', Uyghur, Jukut, Bashkir and Turkmen. I'm going to compare their data to the languages of TUngus-Manchurian and Mongolian family. All of them to Japanese and Korean or Chinese. I wonder if the data on the languages mentioned above have been published? Looking forward to hearing from you to yutambhotmail.com Remain yours sincerely and hopefully Yuri Tambovtsev