Department of Linguistics

HKU Linguistics Seminar

At the centre of it all: How language documentation relates to other subfields of linguistics

Serge Sagna
University of York

In this presentation, I discuss aspects of my past and present research in the areas of language documentation, linguistic typology, first language acquisition and multilingualism and relate this work to my future research plans. I present an innovative programme that stresses the importance of integrating language documentation data into research in these subfields of linguistics. I discuss two of my own studies which rely on thorough, meticulous documentation of language and cultural practices (Sagna Forthcoming) in order to expand our knowledge of typological phenomena such as pluractionality (multiplicity of actions and participants) and multilingualism. I also show how language documentation research is crucial for a complete understanding of first language acquisition. My approach to language documentation goes beyond data collection for the sole purpose of language description and theoretical analysis, targeting linguists as the audience. Following Himmelmann (Himmelmann 2006), my approach to language documentation aims at producing a “lasting, multipurpose record of a language”, usable by other scientists in other fields such as anthropologists, botanists and ethnomusicologists. I argue that this approach is paramount for interdisciplinary research.

References
Himmelmann, Nikolaus P. 2006. Language documentation: what is it and what is it good for? In Jost Lippert, Nikolaus Himmelmann & Ulrike Mosel (eds.), Essentials of language documentation, 1-30. Berlin ; New York: Walter de Gruyter.

Sagna, Serge (Forthcoming). Cross-categorial Classification: Nouns and Verbs in Gújjolaay Eegimaa. Empirical Approaches to Language Typology. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.

4pm, 21 May 2021

Meeting ID: 947 0525 1835
Password: 504049