Functional projections in analytic languages (the Sino-Kwa Project): kick-off conference

On Friday 31 October and Saturday 1 November 2008, LUCL hosted the kick-off conference for the project 'Functional projections in analytic languages'.

Introduction

This conference on Functional projections in analytic languages (the Sino-Kwa Project) was held in Leiden on Friday, 31 October and Saturday, 1 November 2008.


Background

Languages differ with respect to which functional categories they overtly realize. Whereas some overtly realize case, others overtly realize the initiation node in the verb phrase (also known as "little v"). The project Functional projections in analytic languages, funded by the NWO and carried out in cooperation between Leiden and Amsterdam (particularly, between Enoch Aboh, Umberto Ansaldo, Lisa Cheng and Rint Sybesma), aims at investigating which functional categories are overtly realized in so-called "analytic" languages and to find out whether they form a natural class. In particular, we focus on two language groups, which are both supposedly analytic, but which are geographically and genetically wide apart from one another: Sinitic (or Chinese/ East Asia) and Kwa (West Africa).

The conference is organized around eight invited talks on the following topics:

  1. language types;
  2. the nature of functional categories;
  3. the distribution of functional categories; and
  4. the question whether the verbal and nominal domains are as parallel in structure as is often assumed.

The invited speakers are:
 
  • Oluseye Adesola
  • Artemis Alexiadou
  • Felix Ameka
  • Walter Bisang
  • James Essegbey
  • Victor Manfredi
  • James Huang
  • Pieter Musyken

Programme

Friday, 31 October

     Morning session I: Functional categories and functional projections
9.30 - 9.40 Opening and introduction to the Project, Umberto Ansaldo
9.40 - 10.30 Multi-dimensional models for functional categories, Pieter Muysken
 
  Coffee
 
Morning session II: Functional categories and functional projections in Sinitic and Kwa
10.50 - 11.40 Sino-Kwa: analyticity, parametric theory and the lexical-functional divide, C.T. James Huang
11.40 - 12.30 Utterance particles: a neglected common functional category in Sino-Kwa comparison, Felix Ameka
 
Lunch
 
        Afternoon session: The sentence in Kwa
14.00 - 14.50 Relatives, factives and clausal complements, Enoch Aboh
14.50 - 15.40 Are all verbs equal in the serial verb construction in Gbe?, James Essegbey
15.40 - 16.30 Discussion and tea

Saturday, 1 November
 

     Morning session I: Issues in typology
9.30 - 10.20 The domains of grammar and pragmatics in Yoruba and in East and Mainland Southeast Asian languages, Walter Bisang
10.20 - 11.10 APIP, early spellout and displacement in Benue-Kwa (Niger-Congo), Victor Manfredi
 
  Coffee
 
Morning session II: Analyticity and the DP-VP interface
11.30 - 12.20 A different look at "dou", Lisa Cheng
 
Lunch
 
        Afternoon session: The DP
13.50 - 14.40 Understanding the Structure and Content of the Yoruba DP, Oluseye Adésolá
14.40 - 15.30 Reduplication and the structure of the DP, Artemis Alexiadou
15.30 - 16.20 Discussion and tea, followed by closing remarks (Rint Sybesma)

Abstracts

In a separate file we offer the abstracts of the presentations (PDF).

Location

The conference was held in room 148 of the Lipsius Building at Cleveringaplaats 1 in Leiden. The Lipsius Building is located within a 10-15 minute walk from Leiden Central Station (see the general directions).

Registration

We invite all interested parties to come and participate in this conference; for organisational reasons, we ask those of you who are planning to participate, to let us know at R.P.E.Sybesma@hum.leidenuniv.nl. Attendance is free.

Contact

Organisers:

  • Rint Sybesma, Lisa Cheng
    (Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University)
  • Enoch Aboh, Umberto Ansaldo
    (Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, Unversity of Amsterdam)

Contact address:

LUCL Office
Last Modified: 14-11-2008