LINGUIST List 25.1753
Wed
Apr 16 2014
All: Obituary: Jeffrey
S. Gruber (1940-2014)
Editor for this issue:
Sarah Fox <sarahlinguistlist.org>
Date: 08-Apr-2014
From: Chris Collins
<cc116
nyu.edu>
Subject: Obituary: Jeffrey S.
Gruber (1940-2014)
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Jeffrey Steven Gruber passed away at the age of
73 on March 16, 2014 at the Massachusetts
General Hospital, Boston.
Jeff was an important figure in the field of
linguistics. His doctoral thesis gave rise to
the study of thematic relations in generative
grammar, and he continued to publish papers in
this area until the very end of his career. His
work on the language ǂHoã of Botswana was one
of the first systematic descriptions of a
Khoisan language, including accurate phonetic
transcriptions of the complicated system of
consonants and vowels.
Jeff was born October 20, 1940 in Stamford,
Connecticut to the late David and Adele (Chase)
Gruber. He attended the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, receiving an S.B. in Life
Sciences in 1962 and a Ph.D. in Linguistics in
1965. He was a member of the second class to
enter the MIT linguistics program, and a member
of the first group to receive Ph.D.s from the
department in 1965. The title of his
dissertation, which was supervised by Edward
Klima, was Studies in Lexical Relations (an
e-version can be found here:
http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/13010,
and the full list of influential dissertations
from that class can be found here:
http://web.mit.edu/linguistics/graduate/dissertation/list.html).
His thesis and later developments were
published in 1976 as a book, Lexical Structures
in Syntax and Semantics (North Holland).
Jeff’s thesis includes extensive discussions of
goals, locations, sources, themes and agents,
as well as many insightful observations on the
syntax and semantics of prepositions. Jeff
introduced and explored the notion of theme for
the first time, which is now standard in the
linguistics literature on thematic relations. A
theme was defined as “…the entity which is in
motion… As seen the theme may be in motion in a
concrete or in an abstract sense, manifesting a
change of position, possession, class
membership, activity, etc.” (pg. 50).
Crucially, source and goal were also defined
across these various dimensions (pg. 101). In
this way, his thesis set the stage for all
further discussions of thematic relations
(theta-roles), argument structure and the
lexicon in generative grammar (on the influence
of Gruber 1965 on Jackendoff’s work, see
Jackendoff 2014).
The theory of thematic relations in Gruber 1965
is built on the idea of prelexical structure.
The prelexical structures are generated by
phrase structure rules (pgs. 123, 125, 282).
One of these phrase structure rules introduces
the theme, another one introduces the agent. So
notions like theme, goal, source, agent are
syntactic, associated with particular positions
in a phrase structure tree. Lexical items are
mapped onto prelexical structures, and
“interrelate and overlap in their uses
according to various elements in the prelexical
structure” (pg. 264). A core concept of the
thesis was incorporation: “This will refer to
the replacement of elements in the prelexical
string by the phonological form of lexical
items” (pg. 13). For example, the sentence
“John climbed the ladder” can only mean that
John climbed up the ladder, not down the ladder
(pg. 20). This fact led Jeff to conclude that
when “up” is implicit, it has been
incorporated. Jeff adduced large numbers of
examples where incorporation played an
important role in understanding the syntax and
semantics of lexical items.
Immediately after graduate school Jeff became a
research fellow at MIT working on a project in
child language acquisition (directed by M.
Bullova) from 1965 to 1967. He published five
articles on child language acquisition
including Gruber 1966, 1967b/1971, 1966/1973d,
1975f, 1975g. He also spent a short period of
time as a consultant at the Systems Development
Corporation (Santa Monica, California) on a
“project relating to the structure of the
lexicon and the use of the computer as a
research tool for linguistics.”
During graduate school, in 1964, Jeff embraced
the Bahá’í Faith (
http://archive.is/IsvRv).
And so, in January 1968, Jeff left for Botswana
in order to help with the development of the
Bahá’í Faith in that country. In Botswana, Jeff
learned to speak Setswana and assisted native
speakers in translating Bahá’í writings into
Setswana. After a brief stay in Lobatse, he
obtained a position at the Kgari Sechele
Secondary School in Molepolole and taught
English, math and science from 1968 to 1970.
While teaching chemistry, he lost an eye when
it was punctured by broken glass tubing.
After teaching at the secondary school, Jeff
started a research project to study the Khoisan
languages with funding from the National
Endowment for the Humanities. The project title
was Bushman Languages of the Kalahari. The
project description (on file with the NEH) was:
“The Bushmen, a unique and vanishing people,
are speakers of the so-called ''click
languages,'' studies of which, though crucial
if knowledge of them is not to be lost forever,
have been limited in the past to comparative
and classificatory sketches of little depth. To
study, formulate and record phonological,
syntactic and semantic aspects of the language.
To accomplish in-depth scientific retrieval of
this rapidly disappearing and extraordinary
linguistic material.” This research lasted from
1971 to 1975. The research on ǂHoã was carried
out in consultation with Titi, Jeff’s wonderful
ǂHoã consultant. It is Titi who is recorded
speaking the “recorded utterances” (Gruber
1975b). Titi also served as one of the two main
consultants for Collins 2001, 2002, 2003. He
passed away in 2011.
In addition to two published papers (Gruber
1973a, 1975a), Jeff’s work on ǂHoã includes a
list of “recorded utterances” over 100 pages
long (all recorded on reel-to-reel tape, now
digitized), a vocabulary and extensive
grammatical and lexical notes. Jeff’s work on
Khoisan was crucial in the establishment of the
Kx’a language family, which includes ǂHoã as
well as the northern Khoisan languages (Heine
and Honken 2010). Jeff’s work has been useful
to others who have since worked on ǂHoã and the
Khoisan languages.
In 1976, Jeff started a position as Senior
Lecturer at the University of Ife (now renamed
Obafemi Awolowo University). In 1986, he moved
to the University of Benin where he stayed
until 1991. At these universities he taught
syntax, semantics and language acquisition. He
directed at least 15 theses during his time in
Nigeria (14 B.A. theses, and one Ph.D. thesis).
He held appointments as Professor and Head of
Department at both universities. His students
in Nigeria remember him as a patient and
dedicated teacher and mentor. Ore Yusuf
(retired, University of Ilorin) recalled that
“Jeff would work with students anywhere, car
park, open fields with papers flying around and
students chasing them.”
During his time in Nigeria, Jeff directed a
number of theses on thematic relations and
serial verb constructions. These theses
influenced the next step in the development of
his theoretical ideas, which he sometimes
called “configurational theta-theory” (see
Gruber 1992: fn. 2, Gruber 2002: fn. 3, which
note the importance of Ogwueleka’s thesis). In
this theory, an elemental thematic function
consists of a set of theta-roles (e.g.,
theme-source-goal), in a particular dimension
(e.g., positional, possessional, contact,
informational). This much was already present
in Gruber 1965. The innovation is that these
elemental functions may be combined into a
complex structure (Gruber 2001: 259). In a
complex thematic structure, an argument can be
assigned multiple theta-roles, where each of
the theta-roles is associated with a distinct
thematic function. He gives the following
representation for a serial verb construction
from Yoruba (θ stands for theme, Γ stands for
goal and Σ stands for source, PST stands for
position, CTT stands for contact and CST stands
for causation) (slightly simplified from Gruber
1990):
| Olu |
tí |
| òkúta |
wò |
| ìlé |
| Olu |
push |
| stone |
enter |
| house |
|
|
|
|
Θ |
PST | |
|
Γ |
|
Θ |
CTT |
| |
Γ |
|
Σ |
CST | |
θ |
This structure shows that in the positional
thematic function, “stone” is the theme and
“house” is the goal. In the contact thematic
function, “Olu” is the theme, and “stone” is
the goal. Lastly, in the causation thematic
function, “Olu” is the source, and the whole
contact function is the theme. From this
perspective, in a serial verb language,
different verbs can introduce different
thematic functions. A similar analysis
(involving three thematic functions) is given
to “The thieves broke the door” in English. The
rest of Jeff’s career was devoted to exploring
the syntactic representation and empirical
consequences of these complex thematic
structures.
After leaving Nigeria in 1991, Jeff was briefly
a visiting scholar at MIT. He then went to
Montreal to work as a research associate on the
UQAM “Modularity of Grammar” project (director:
Anna Maria Di Sciullo), funded by the SSRC from
1992 to 1997. During this time, he further
developed his ideas about configurational
theta-theory. His contributions to this project
included Gruber 1996, 1997, Gruber and Collins
1997 and Di Sciullo and Gruber 1993.
In his final years, he was a visiting scholar
in the Department of Linguistics at MIT,
attending talks and departmental events.
Jeff was an accomplished painter. He painted
throughout his life without formal training. He
described his paintings in the following way:
''My paintings I find belong to the genre of
visionary art, taking influence from Blake,
Escher, Tobey. They are mystical and spiritual
in content, while employing a kind of
articulation or binding of space in their
construction of form. Such binding of space may
be achieved through the tessellation or
aggregation of specific shapes or strokes, as
pixels or quanta, or interstitial tracings”
(
http://archive.is/IsvRv).
A gallery of his paintings can be found at:
http://jeffreysgruber.com/.
During his final years, Jeff suffered from
Parkinson’s disease, which often made him
anxious and made it difficult for him to type
e-mail messages. In spite of this debilitating
obstacle, he worked hard to put his initial
descriptive work on ǂHoã into publishable form
(Collins and Gruber, forthcoming).
List of Publications:
1965. Studies in Lexical Relations. Doctoral
Dissertation, MIT.
1966. Playing with Distinctive Features in the
Babbling of Infants. Quarterly Progress Report
No. 89. Research Laboratory of Electronics,
MIT.
1967a. Functions of the Lexicon in Formal
Descriptive Grammars. Santa Monica, California:
Systems Development Corporation.
1967b. Topicalization in Child Language.
Foundations of Language 3.1, 37-65.
1967c. On the Selection of a Universal
Auxiliary Language. World Order. Wilmette,
Illinois: Baha’i Publishing Trust. Also in
International Language Review, XIV: 50, March
1967-1968, 7-13.
1967d. Look and See. Language 43.4,
937-947.
1971. Topicalization in Child Language. In
Bar-Adon, Leopold (ed.), Child Language – A
Book of Readings, 364-482. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall.
1973a. Kinship Terms in ǂHȍã. Linguistic
Inquiry 4, 427-449.
1973b. A story in /Gwi with some linguistic
descriptions (unpublished).
1973c. Correlations between the Syntactic
Constructions of the Child and the Adult. In
Ferguson, C.A. and D.I. Slobin (eds.), Studies
of Child Language Development, 440-445. New
York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston (originally
presented at the Society for Research in Child
Development Conference, New York, 31 March
1967).
1973d. Playing with Distinctive Features in the
Babbling of Infants. In Ferguson, C.A. and D.I.
Slobin (eds.), Studies in Child Language
Development, 4-9. New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston
1975a. Plural Predicates in ǂHȍã. In Traill,
A. (ed.), Bushman and Hottentot Linguistic
Studies (A.S.I. Communication 2), 1-50.
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg:
African Studies Institute.
1975b. Bushman Languages of the Kalahari: ǂHoã
– vocabulary – stems, ǂHoã – vocabulary –
recorded utterances. Technical project report
to the National Endowment for the Humanities,
Washington D.C.
1975c. ǂHȍã Grammatical Notes and Vocabulary.
Ms., unpublished.
1975d. The Structure of Bushman Verb
Juxtaposition. Ms., Gaborone, Botswana.
1975e. The Expression of the Agentive Noun
Derived from the Verb. Ms., Gaborone,
Botswana.
1975f. ‘Topicalization’ Revisited. Foundations
of Language 13.1, 57-72.
1975g. Performative-Constative Transition in
Child Language Development. Foundations of
Language 12.4, 513-527.
1976. Lexical Structures in Syntax and
Semantics. Amsterdam: Elsevier/North
Holland.
1982. Lexical and Conceptual Semantic
Categories. Proceedings of the XIII
International Congress of Linguistics, Tokyo,
Japan, August 29 – September 4, 1982. 10pp.
1985a. Lexical, Conceptual and Encyclopedic
Meaning. Quaderni di Semantica, 254-266.
1985b. Akosile ti Baha’i. Lagos: Baha’i
Publishing Trust Nigeria. 120 pp. (A
translation of Bahá’í Scriptural Writings;
headed the committee of translation.)
1986. Frame Information and Lexically-Based
Inference. Quaderni di Semantica, 58-77.
1990. Complex Thematic Structures. Ms.,
presented to MIT Lexicon Project Workshop, 31,
October 1990.
1992. Proper argument projection in Igbo and
Yoruba. In Collins, C. T. and V. B. Manfredi
(ed.), Proceedings of the Kwa comparative
syntax workshop, 139-164. Cambridge, MA:
MIT.
1993. Lexical Insertion in Derivational
Morphology. Quatrième rencontre annuelle de
l'Atelier Canadien sur les Relations
Lexique-Syntaxe, Toronto. [with Anna Maria Di
Sciullo]
1994. Principles of a Configurational
Theta-Theory. In Y.-S. Kim, B.-C. Lee, K.-J.
Lee, H.-K. Yang and J.-Y. Yoon (eds.), A
Festshcrift for Dong-Whee Yang: Explorations in
Generative Grammar, 69-111. Seoul, Korea:
Hankuk Publishing Co.
1995a. Thematic configurationality and serial
verb constructions. In Emenanjo, E. N. and
O.-Mekuri Ndimele (eds.), Issues in African
languages and linguistics: Essays in honour of
Kay Williamson, 216-228. Aba, Nigeria: National
Institute for Nigerian Languages.
1995. Constraining XP-sequences. In Manfredi,
Victor B. and Karl H. Reynolds (eds.),
Niger-Congo syntax and semantics 6, 1-30.
Boston: African Studies Center, Boston
University. [with Katherine Alison Demuth]
1996. Configurational Accounts of Thematic
Linking Regularities: The Possessional-Spatial
Asymmetry. In Anna Maria Di Sciullo (ed.),
Configurations: Essays on Form and
Interpretation. Ithaca, NY: Cascadilla
Press.
1997a. Modularity in a Configurational Theta
Theory. In Anna Maria Di Sciullo (ed.),
Projections and Interface Conditions: Essays on
Modularity, 155-200. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
1997b. Argument projection, thematic
configurationality, and Case theory. In Anna
Maria Di Sciullo (ed.), Projections and
Interface Conditions: Essays on Modularity,
130-154. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [with
Chris Collins]
1998a. A Configurational Approach to Thematic
Binding. In H. Bennis, P. Pica, J. Rooryck
(eds.), Atomism and Binding, 155-182.
Dordrecht: Foris.
1998b. Language and Justice in the New World
Order. World Order 29.3, 7-28. Wilmette,
Illinois: Baha’i Publishing Trust.
2001. Thematic Relations in Syntax. In Mark
Baltin and Chris Collins (eds.), The Handbook
of Contemporary Syntactic Theory, 257-198.
Oxford: Blackwell.
2004. Beyond Linguistic Conflict: Spiritual
Foundations of a Universal Auxiliary Language.
In Charles Lerche (ed.), Healing the Body
Politic: Bahá’í Perspectives on Peace and
Conflict. London: George Ronald.
Forthcoming. A Grammar of ǂHȍã with
Vocabulary, Recorded Utterances and Oral Texts.
(Quellen zur Khoisan-Forschung). Cologne:
Rüdiger Köppe. [with Chris Collins]
Thesis Supervision:
Osunde, Ifueko. 1987. Aspects of the Ideophone
in Edo. B.A. Thesis, University of Benin, Benin
City, Nigeria.
Taiwo, Olurotimi Olorunfemi. 1987. Syntactic
Tests for Yoruba Serial Verb Structures. B.A.
Thesis, University of Benin, Benin City,
Nigeria.
Cookey-Gam, Nigel Adonye. 1987. Serial Verb
Constructions and their Analysis in Nigerian
Pidgin English. B.A. Thesis, University of
Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Stewart, Osamuyimen Thompson. 1987. Syntactic
Configurations of Edo Serial ‘Verbal’
Constructions. B.A. Thesis, University of
Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Ozigbo, Enoghayin Stella. 1987. A Study of
Aspectual Character in Verbs in Edo Based on
Time Schemata. B.A. Thesis, University of
Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Ogwueleka, Obiukwu S. 1987. Thematic Roles and
Syntactic Processes in Igbo. Ph.D. Thesis,
University of Ife, Ile-Ife.
Ogbuchi, Constance. 1988. The Dependency of
Case Marking on Theta-Roles in “Igbo Language”
(Central Igbo). B.A. Thesis, University of
Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Eghobamien, Iyobosa. 1988. Parameters and
Aspects of Case Marking and Thematic Relation
in Edo. B.A. Thesis, University of Benin, Benin
City, Nigeria.
Eferakorho, Jite. 1990. Projection of Lexical
Specification in Complex Predicates in Yoruba.
B.A. Thesis, University of Benin, Benin City,
Nigeria.
Odigie, Odion Fidelia. 1990. Aspects of Lexical
Projection in Esan Serial Verb Construction.
B.A. Thesis, University of Benin, Benin City,
Nigeria.
Uyanne, Chiaodili Grace. 1991. Constraints on
Semantic Relations/Syntactic Structures in Igbo
SVCs. B.A. Thesis, University of Benin, Benin
City, Nigeria.
Anyoha, Ndubu-Izu Franklin. 1991. Semantic
Constraints and Syntactic Correlation of Serial
Verbs in Yoruba. B.A. Thesis, University of
Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Owumi, Otega Osas. 1991. Contrast in the
Semantic Relations of Edo Serial ‘Verbal’
Constructions. B.A. Thesis, University of
Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Abu-Osagie, Ransley. 1991. Some Aspects of
Possessor Raising in Edo (Bini). B.A. Thesis,
University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Imhankon, Julie O. A. 1991. Thematic Relations
and Case Marking in Relation to Serial Verb
Constructions in Esan. B.A. Thesis, University
of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Other Works Cited:
Collins, Chris. 2001. Aspects of Plurality in
ǂHoan. Language 77, 456-476.
Collins, Chris. 2002. Multiple Verb Movement in
ǂHoan. Linguistic Inquiry 33, 1-29.
Collins, Chris. 2003. The Internal Structure of
vP in Ju|’Hoansi and ǂHoan. Studia
Linguistica 57, 1-25.
Heine, Bernd and Henry Honken. 2010. The Kx’a
Family: A New Khoisan Genealogy. Journal
of Asian and African Studies 79, 5-36.
Jackendoff, Ray. 2014. Genesis of a theory of
language: From thematic roles (source) to the
Parallel Architecture (goal). Ms., Tufts
University.
(
http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/jackendoff/papers/GenesisofPA.pdf)
Linguistic Field(s): Not Applicable
Page Updated: 16-Apr-2014