Mittwoch, 14.00 Uhr
Current linguistic typology views individual languages as the outcome of specific settings of values on a (hopefully rather restricted) set of parameters. At the present stage of inquiry, some of these parameters are regarded as independent; that is, the value setting of a language with respect to some parameter A cannot (yet) be predicted from its setting on some parameter B. In my research project I have examined the value settings of a sample of 300 languages in relation to the following five (binary) parameters, which at the moment are thought to be independent:
the Basic Word Order parameter, concerning the order of Verb and Object in transitive sentences (OV vs. VO);
the Tensedness parameter, i.e., the question of whether or not a language requires overt marking of a Past-Nonpast distinction on its main verbs;
the Casedness parameter, i.e., the question of whether or not a language requires an overtly marked distinction between subject and object noun phrases;
the AND/WITH parameter, i.e., the question of whether or not a language makes an explicit distinction between coordinate and comitative noun phrases;
the Converb parameter, based on whether or not a language can/must have structural coordination of verb phrases or sentences.
If, as might be predicted from the mutual independency of these parameters, any language can randomly decide on a value setting for these parameters, it would follow that 32 different language types can be expected to turn up in the data. Empirically, however, this set of ’logically possible’ language types can be shown to be severely restricted. In fact, it appears that there is a strong tendency towards a dichotomy, in which languages tend to align themselves into two sides which, on each parameter, have opposite settings. Moreover, the geographical distribution of these ’white’ languages and ’black’ languages shows a remarkable consistency over the various parameters: linguistically, the world can be divided into fairly homogeneous ’black’ and ’white’ areas. The core areas for what I will call ’black’ languages can be shown to comprise Eurasia, New Guinea/Australia, and parts of the North of South America (Chibchan, Carib, Quechuan), while ’white’ languages are the dominant option anywhere else.
zum Programm der AG 5
zur alphabetischen Übersicht der Abstracts
zur zeitlichen Übersicht