LINGUIST List 9.170

Wed Feb 4 1998

Qs: Breast/Milk,NLP,Irrealis Modality,Byzantine Voc

Editor for this issue: Martin Jacobsen <martylinguistlist.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

  • Krisadawan Hongladarom, The Words for Breast/Milk
  • Anne Sing, NLP Software
  • Claire Bowern, Irrealis Modality
  • tata, Byzantine Architecture Vocabulary

    Message 1: The Words for Breast/Milk

     Date: Sun, 1 Feb 1998 15:56:24 +0700 (BKK)
    From: Krisadawan Hongladarom <artfkhlchulkn.car.chula.ac.th>
    Subject: The Words for Breast/Milk


    Dear Colleagues,

    The word for breast and milk in many Southeast Asian languages are often related etymologically. For example, in Thai nom(32) is breast, and nam(45)nom(32) 'water breast' is milk. The same situation is for Written Tibetan, though I'm not very sure if the word for breast is correct. Homa is milk, and Ho-Hdod 'milk desire(?)' is breast. (H is a voiced glottal fricative). In Rgyalthang, another variety of Khams Tibetan spoken in Yunnan (PRC), the word for milk is nei (231), which obviously came from nei(231)po(51) 'breast'. However, Rgyalthang also distinguishes between nei(231) 'breast milk' and wui(231) 'cow milk'.

    I'm wondering if the languages you speak or are familiar with have the same etymon for the words breast and milk and if the word for breast milk is the same as cow milk.

    I'll post the summary to the list. Thank you for your contribution.

    Dr. Krisadawan Hongladarom Department of Linguistics Faculty of Arts Chulalongkorn University Bangkok 10330 Tel. 662-2184690; Fax. 662-218-4697 Email: artfkhlchulkn.car.ac.th <http://pioneer.netserv.chula.ac.th/~hkrisada/www/Krisadawan.html>;

    Message 2: NLP Software

     Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 09:58:16 -1000
    From: Anne Sing <anneshtdc.org>
    Subject: NLP Software


    >ABOUT THE GROUP:

    >We are in the process of designing and building a system to analyze >unrestricted natural language, taking input text, and moving from >lexical/morphological analysis through syntax, semantics, and >eventually pragmatics and discourse. A generation component is also >planned. We have already shipped products world-wide based on our >English and Japanese technology, and are now ready to ship in French >and Spanish.

    This sounds like vapor ware. Is anyone aware of what software is being referred to (other than the grammar checker in word) and to what degree they can conform to the Penn Treebank II guidelines or to what degree they can actually analyze and manipulate strings?

    Phil Bralich

    Message 3: Irrealis Modality

     Date: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 13:43:58 +1100
    From: Claire Bowern <C.BowernStudent.anu.edu.au>
    Subject: Irrealis Modality


    I am a student summer research follow at the Research Centre for Linguistic Typology at the Australian National University in Canberra. Part of my research involves the cross-linguistic use of the irrealis modality and the development of a hierarchy of the meanings associated with irrealis marking. I would like to investigate as many languages as possible. If you would like to fill out a short questionnaire for your favourite language(s) please write to C.BowernStudent.anu.edu.au (Claire Bowern)

    Thanks in advance,

    Claire Bowern Centre for Linguistic Typology Australian National University Canberra, ACT, 0200 Ph: +61 2 6249 2053

    Message 4: Byzantine Architecture Vocabulary

     Date: Tue, 03 Feb 1998 22:38:20 +0000
    From: tata <tatapolydata.ru>
    Subject: Byzantine Architecture Vocabulary


    Dear subscribers,

    Does anybody know some new publications on Byzantine ekphraseis or especially on Byzantine architecture vocabulary?

    Many thanks.

    Tatiana M. Vassilieva, PhD Student, Centre of East Christian Culture 18-1 Biriulevskaia apt 93 Moscow 115404 Russia Phone: (095) 348 0173 E-mail: tatapolydata.ru