LINGUIST List 17.1658

Thu Jun 01 2006

Qs: Analysis of 'Other' in Any Language, Any Theory; Time Metaphors

Editor for this issue: Jessica Boynton <jessicalinguistlist.org>

Directory         1.    Thomas Hanke, Analysis of 'Other' in Any Language, Any Theory
         2.    Sondes Hamdi, Time Metaphors
Message 1: Analysis of 'Other' in Any Language, Any Theory
Date: 30-May-2006
From: Thomas Hanke <thomashankeemail.de>
Subject: Analysis of 'Other' in Any Language, Any Theory


Dear linguists,

I would like to ask you for help in -literally- an 'other' problem.

My developing PhD thesis has bi-partite reciprocity expressions like ''eachother'' and ''one another'' as a main topic.

In the last months, I have been able to find only marginal remarks on'other' and similar concepts - usual as an explanation for other phenomenalike focus particles or anaphora ('no-one else', 'no other person'). Theusual semantic analyses mention only membership in the same category anddistinction from one member with no further details.

In reference grammars and descriptions of numeral systems, I found somehints, mainly that the functional range of 'other' expressions is notobligatorily similar to European languages.

"'Other"', "'else"', and their counterparts in other languages areobviously not the best keywords to search for.

I will be glad to get hints to any research on 'other,else' and relatednotions. Any perspective, theory, language is welcome.

Some topics that came to my mind are the relation to, and interaction with:- indefiniteness, definiteness, reference,- deictics, pronouns- quantifiers, groups, genericity- discourse organization, 'the first' versus 'the other(s)',- different conceptual fields like space, time,- membership in and compatibility with word-classes

Thank you for your interest!I will post a summary.

Thomas HankeBerlin Utrecht project group ''A typology of reciprocal markers: Analysisand documentation''

Linguistic Field(s): Syntax
Message 2: Time Metaphors
Date: 30-May-2006
From: Sondes Hamdi <sondeshamdiyahoo.fr>
Subject: Time Metaphors


Dear linguists:

I am carrying out a comparative research on the conceptual metaphors fortime in English and Arabic within the Lakoffian framwork. I want to be sureof two points.

(1)Is it true that so far no single comparative/contrastive study has beencarried out on time metaphors in Arabic and English.

(2) Do you have any published, and thus accessible, references oncomparative studies for time metaphors. Sometimes, I find some interestingtitles in the internet, but they are unpublished, rendering the access tothem difficult.

Thank you!

Linguistic Field(s): Cognitive Science
Subject Language(s): Arabic, Standard (arb)                             English (eng)