Linguistics Commons^™

Stable Complexity: Verbal Inflection In Prominent And Frequent Environments, Lukas Denk

Linguistics ETDs

Despite presenting challenges for speakers, complex linguistic features such as lexically conditioned inflection (LCI) persist across different languages. LCI forms part of not entirely predictable paradigms which require lexeme-specific knowledge to master. Moreover, LCI remains one of the oldest morphological phenomena in certain languages. Previous research has linked the persistence of such complexity to language-external factors like geographic and social circumstances of speech communities.

This dissertation delves into the question whether language-internal properties are associated with the distribution of inflectional complexity. LCI is compared with other inflectional paradigms across 41 genetically and geographically distant languages. The study shows that LCI …

Conceptual Meaning In Phonology: Multimodal Iconic Expressions In Discourse Focus, David Páez Acevedo

Linguistics ETDs

In everyday communication, speakers go beyond words to synchronize speech sounds and gestures, adding nuanced meanings. For instance, in Colombian Spanish, recounting the distant past involves elongating words, modulating pitch, and using expressive hand movements. This dissertation explores this phenomenon, termed Multimodal Iconic Expressions (MMIEs), using Cognitive Linguistics and Cognitive Grammar. The quantitative study uncovers correlations between verb aspect, nominal quantification, and speech duration, revealing phono-iconic connections. The qualitative study examines construal operations giving rise to MMIEs across semantic domains. MMIEs predominantly appear in discourse Focus, with durative events and mass-like quantities exhibiting pronounced phono-iconic associations. Patterns include stress and …

Lucky Chile In The Land Of Enchantment: Mapping Perception Of Signed Language Varieties In New Mexico, David Player

Linguistics ETDs

There are no known published studies documenting the linguistic variation of American Sign Language in New Mexico. We applied the Perceptual Dialectology approach to gain insights into how ASL variation is perceived by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population in New Mexico. Participants reported 60 signs associated with a historical variety of ASL used at NMSD, and many more signs that are linked to regional and cultural relevance in New Mexico. Four participants provided highly descriptive maps that identify themes related to the sources of variation. Comparisons to studies of Black ASL are discussed to identify parallels in the …