Applies prototype theory to the question of how to understand the concept of polysyllabic morphemes in Chinese. Analysis reveals that, because there is considerable disagreement on whether particular examples are in fact members this category, the traditional view that membership is an either/or matter is not accurate. (39 references) (MDM)

Lexical statistics and a production experiment gauge the extent to which the linguistic notion of morphological productivity is relevant for psycholinguistic theories of speech production in languages such as Dutch. Lexical statistics show that new Dutch words are created often enough to make such theories of speech production theoretically…

An examination of Polish compliments and compliment responses collected in natural settings found a distinction between procedural and relational solidarity in compliment behavior. It also found that Poles do not insist on establishing solidarity with each other by relying on formulaic speech patterns in the same degree that Americans do. (58…

A study of concord phenomena in Rio de Janeiro spoken Portuguese found that, in the serial context, the linguistic system is so highly constrained that external, and even internal, influences are blocked. Authors conclude that strong constraints should be identified and further studies undertaken to understand the interplay of the diverse forces…

Describes the acquisition and use of a Chinese metalanguage with which ambiguous spoken words are graphically contextualized. The metalanguage is composed of strategies that range from the actual writing of the Chinese graph (character) to those where the graph is accommodated in a verbal presentation. (12 references) (JL)

Investigates the role of elicitation tasks on the linguistic performance of Persian learners learning English in a nonnative speaking environment. The purpose is to investigate whether learners' interlanguage ranges along a continuum or whether it shifts between two opposing poles of monitored/unmonitored varieties. (29 references)

Investigates the semantical aspects of Oceanic language elements that function as directional verbs of motion (e.g., "go,""come,""return"). It is argued that human conceptualization of phenomena (viz. metaphor and metonymy) directly motivate the variety of grammaticalization processes observed with respect to these…

Active/agentive case markings are argued to be the products of successive diachronic developments, each individually motivated. Several factors obscure the motivations, including cross-linguistic differences in detail, shifts of defining features over time, grammaticization, and lexicalization. Explanation of case-systems requires understanding of…

Discusses both Canale's and Bachman's theoretical frameworks of language proficiency (LP). These theories share the same standpoint: language use for communication is dynamic; LP is both knowledge and skills; and LP includes at least grammatical competence, discourse/textual competence, and sociolinguistic competence. (Contains 38 references.) (JP)

Investigates persuasion as a sociolinguistic phenomenon in Jordan. This study focuses on three main modes of persuasion and explores attitudes toward factors contributing to persuasion success. Devices such as the Quranic verses, the Traditions, wisdoms and proverbs, as well as trustworthiness, are crucial in influencing listener beliefs. (50…

Summarizes some of the syntactic differences between English and Japanese in such areas as word order, wh-movement, subject-auxiliary inversion, expletives, multiple subject constructions, scrambling, and modifiable pro-forms in Japanese. (26 references) (CB)

An experimental elicitation task with children between the ages of 20 and 27 months shows that children learning Thai numeral classifiers begin with purely distributional information: specifically (1) that classifiers must appear in the postnumeral position, and (2) that classifiers comprise a conventional, closed set of words. (35 references) (JL)

Discusses and critiques the ideas presented in Joseph H. Greenberg's 1987 book, "Language in the Americas." The book has been greeted with dismay by many specialists in Amerindian linguistics. (38 references) (JL)

Texts in Classical Nahuatl from 1524, in the genre of formal oratory, reveal extensive use of lines showing parallel morphosyntactic and semantic structure. Analysis and translation of a passage point to the applicability of structural analysis to "expressive" as well as "referential" texts; and the importance of understanding…

Verb agreement in the K'iche' agentive voice appears to deviate from the ergative/absolutive system of other Mayan languages, leading some to treat agreement in the agentive as falling outside the regular agreement system as well as to differing views regarding appropriate syntactic representation of the agentive construction with respect to final…