The extent to which Basque displays ergative characteristics (an ergative language treats the underlying subject of intransitive clauses alike in some manner and differently from the underlying subject of transitive clauses) in its syntax is examined. The amount of evidence needed to conclude that Basque or any other language is ergative is…

The theoretical generalization that no lexical material can occur between a Wh-element and a verb in any clause in Basque is challenged, and it is argued that case is not assigned structurally in the Basque language. The account demonstrates how a number of well documented properties of Basque may combine to produce this grammatical result, and an…

In this paper the morphological argument for the conditioning of Sanskrit aspiration and deaspiration is renewed in theoretically current terms, bringing forth new arguments and examining previously undiscussed major weaknesses in the purely phonological (autosegmental) argument. Relevant phonological, morphological, and lexical facts are…

The order of constituents in Finnish clauses having free word order is analyzed. It is proposed that these clauses are defined only in terms of their immediate constituency, and that the logically possible permutations of these constituents form another set of sequence constructions, which transcend individual clause types. Each sequence…

Because Mandarin Chinese is a language without much morphology in case, number, and gender; i.e., an uninflectional analytical language in which word order plays a decisive role in determining the semantics of a sentence; it seems inconvenient to investigate the language in the framework of relational grammar (RG); which depends heavily on case…

An analysis of two different WH-clause types (relative clauses and free relatives/indirect questions) in Yiddish investigates the acceptability of a gap in the first position. A model is presented that accounts for the differences between the two by positing three constraints on their formation. It is then argued that either these constraints…

Efforts to expand the generic language proficiency guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) to the less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) began when developers realized that the ACTFL guidelines were too Eurocentric; the guidelines included grammatical categories specific to Western European languages and…

A study of the Samoan "-cia" suffix is presented. It argues that, contrary to prevailing theory, Samoan does have an active/passive contrast but that it is indicated by a difference in word order rather than by verbal morphology. It is shown, however, that "-cia" is similar to a passive suffix in that passive involves the…

This grammar handbook analyzes the rules of Solomon Islands Pijin and provides exercises on them. It is divided into 24 lessons. The first part of each lesson is a description of some element or function of the language, with examples; the second part is made up of oral and written exercises. The volume concludes with appendices on the personal…

A listing has been prepared of recent and readily available instructional materials for modern foreign languages not commonly taught in the United States, with emphasis on materials intended for use of the adult learner whose native language is English. The 320 entries, representing 80 languages and dialects, are arranged alphabetically by…

Describes proposed oral achievement test for elementary Arabic based on teaching material used at University of Michigan. The rationale for testing oral skills at the elementary level and previous types of oral testing of Arabic are outlined. A test facsimile and sample items are provided, including an exploration of the test's format, scoring…

Discusses several concerns of translating "Languages of Limited Diffusion" (LLD) including: (1) the lack of knowledge of the language; (2) the role of word-for-word or computer translation; (3) translating from a translation or from the translator's native language; (4) common elements in the source and target languages; (5) uncommon languages'…

Describes how the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies in Taipei has used computers: 1) to select new vocabulary from texts for glossing; 2) to sort vocabulary for index listings; and 3) to print portions of textbooks. Problems with phonetic transcriptions and quality of print for Chinese characters are discussed. Samples are…

Examines the syntactic aspects of code-switching from Egyptian to standard Arabic, as displayed in radio and television interviews and panel discussions. The process does not proceed randomly but is governed by principles dependent on switch position, type of category involved at the switch position, and language variety. (Author/CB)

Reviews literature pertaining to the subtle differences between the meanings of the particles "waw al-ma iyya" and "fa al-sababiyya," emphasizing their construction differences. (CB)