Ling/Anth 300, Englebretson, Fall 2011

Language Report #2 (Due Mon. October 31)

For the language you have chosen, write a short (1 to 3 pages) report on either word order or Grammatical Relations, based on the material weve covered in class between October 3-21. Follow the same format as Language Report #1. If you are switching to a different language, please e-mail me to let me know what language you would like to do your report on, and what reference grammar(s) youll be using. Note: for this report, you must choose one of the following three topics: (1) Clearly demonstrate how the language treats NPA, NPP, and NPS, and discuss what kind of GR system(s) the language has. Does the language mark GRs by means of case-marking, agreement, word-order, or some combination of these? (2) Discuss how the language treats recipients in ditransitive clauses. What strategy(s) does the language use for coding them? Is it justifiable to posit a grammatical category of Indirect Object for this language? (3) Discuss how the language behaves with respect to word-order. What is the basic word order? Is it strict? Which word-order correlates does the language follow, and which does it diverge from? Alternatively, design a homework-style problem to present information on one of these three topics, and give the solution. Remember: I am especially interested in the way in which you cite evidence (examples from the language) and argue for your conclusions. Your report will be graded on: (1) use of relevant and specific language examples as evidence to support your general points; (2) appropriate use of linguistic terminology and argumentation, as exemplified in the Payne textbook, lectures, and homework assignments; (3) clarity, organization, and accuracy. Please be sure to cite the source(s) of your language data.