This paper discusses the term "ergative" and traces the history of this and related terms and concepts in descriptive linguistics. Early attempts at defining the ergative illustrate the preoccupation with its supposedly passive nature. Other questions include the simple identification of the ergative, co-occurring cases, supposed…

Considers why Bernstein's theory of language codes has been misinterpreted, and describes an experiment in which undergraduate students interpret categories derived from Bernstein's lists of "linguistic code markers" in accordance with expectations emanating from a simplistic understanding of the theory. Suggests that the labelling…

A dialect survey of the Penghu Islands concluded that the Penghu dialects belong to the Southern Min; variation within the dialects is considerable in terms of changed tones, certain finals, and some lexical items; and the Penghu dialects can be further divided into two large groups. (Author/CB)

An overview of contemporary Hispanic dialectology, focusing on phonological phenomena, syntax, classification schemes, and bilingual communities, demonstrates that dialectology has long ceased to be the collection of innumerable surface deviations. It is suggested that dialectology is a theoretical discipline searching for universal principles to…

It is argued that the relationship between Kiswahili and ethnic community languages in Tanzania is not diglossic. The paper applies definitions/redefinitions to the Tanzanian sociolinguistic profile, considers Tanzanian language policy, suggests the basic tenets of diglossia do not apply, and proposes another term for the Kiswahili relationship…

Although Eskimo languages are commonly characterized as displaying rather "free" word order compared to major western European languages, West Greenlandic (WG) has a clearly dominant, pragmatically neutral ordering pattern. It is argued that WG behaves more like Slavic languages. (Contains 36 references.) (LB)

An important problem for a language learner is identifying how properties of argument structure are realized morphosyntactically in the particular language they are learning. Speakers of some L1s overgeneralize the morphosyntactic reflexes of the movement of Theme objects in English to unaccusative intransitive verbs, using passive morphology in…

A description of the various ethnic groups who comprise each of the four major language families represented in China--the Sino Tibetan, Altaic, Indo-European and the Austroasiatic. (EH)

ORGANIZED INTO TWO MAIN SECTIONS--BOOKS AND ARTICLES AND SERIAL PUBLICATIONS AND PUBLISHERS--THIS BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE BERBER LANGUAGES REPRESENTS 758 ENTRIES, SOME OF WHICH ARE ANNOTATED. SUBDIVISIONS INCLUDE GENERAL LINGUISTICS, DIALECT GEOGRAPHY, PHONOLOGY, MORPHOLOGY, SYNTAX, LEXICON, TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS, HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES,…

This volume presents a summary of work accomplished since the Spanish conquest in the contemporary description and historical reconstruction of the indigenous languages and language families of Mexico and Central America. Contents are (1) "History of Studies in Middle American Linguistics" by N.A. McQuown; (2) "Inventory of…

The Kutchins are a group of Athapaskan Indians who live in an area between the East Fork of the Chandalar River in Alaska and the Mackenzie River in Canada. Eight main groups were classified by Osgood (1936) and McKennan (1965) added a ninth group, Chandalar Kutchin. The present study is based on material collected during the summer of 1972 in one…

A social and linguistic history of the English language is presented in this book. Part 1, "History and Language," discusses such topics as the aims of language history, the beginning of language, grammars, and language meaning. Part 2, "Words and Meanings," explores Old English, Middle English, the establishment of modern English, creating new…

The "War on Poverty" has focused on the economic, educational, and social disadvantage of great segments of our population. Prominent among the disadvantaged is the North American Indian, living in the mainstream of the dominant culture and in the more isolated setting of the government reservation. One of the basic difficulties faced in efforts…

Differences between the English and Ukrainian verbal forms, meaning, and usage are studied in this booklet. While the author illustrates significant distinctions in basic forms, sentences, and in paragraph structure, he concludes that the most important differences between both systems are of a psychological nature. Examples are cited, often using…

Revised version of a doctoral dissertation (Princeton University), partially subsidized by a grant from the Research Council of the University of North Carolina. (VM)