International Symposium

Methodologies in Determining Morphosyntactic Change:
Case Studies and Cross-linguistic Applications

(March 5–6, 2009 at the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka)

The aim of this symposium is to bring together case studies of morphosyntactic reconstruction and change in various language families focusing on the methodology used in each study, and to examine if it is possible to draw some cross-linguistically applicable generalizations based on each case. The symposium also aims to offer an opportunity for researchers in diverse sub-disciplines interested in morphosyntactic change, such as cognitive psychologny, language acquisition, sociolinguistics, computational linguistics to interact with historical linguists, to generate new ideas for the development of methodologies for understanding language change.

Day 1 (Thursday, 5 March)
9:00-9:45
meeting with interpreters
9:45-10:00

Welcome
10:00-10:45

On the Rise of Ergative Structures in Africa
Christa KOENIG
(Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan and University of Frankfurt, Germany)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
10:45-11:30

Word Order Change in Western Nilotic Languages
HIEDA Osamu
(Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Japan)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
 
Coffee break
11:45-12:30

Morphosyntactic Functions of Noun Phrases in Japanese and Their Historical Change
KINSUI Satoshi
(Osaka University, Japan)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
 
Lunch break
14:00-14:45

Variation and Morphosyntactic Change
Sali A. TAGLIAMONTE
(University of Toronto, Canada)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
14:45-15:30

Reinterpretation of a Morphosyntactic System as a Result of Language Contact and Language Attrition: An Example from an Endangered Language in Indonesia
UTSUMI Atsuko
(Meisei University, Japan)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
 
Coffee break
15:45-16:30

On the Development of Passives in Philippine Languages
Lawrence A. REID
(University of Hawai‘i, USA)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
18:00-20:00

Reception (JICA Osaka International Center)

Day 2 (Friday, 6 March)
9:00-9:30
meeting with interpreters
9:30-10:15

Integrating the Comparative Method and the Pattern Classification of Sentence Structures for Morphosyntactic Reconstruction
KIKUSAWA Ritsuko
(National Museum of Ethnology, Japan)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
10:15-11:00

Reconstructing Syntax: Construction Grammar and the Comparative Method
Jóhanna BARÐDAL
(University of Bergen, Norway)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
 
Coffee break
11:15-12:00

Cyclical Change in Agreement and Case
Elly VAN GELDEREN
(Arizona State University, USA)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
12:00-12:45

Computer Simulation of Grammatical Change
NAKAMURA Makoto
(Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Japan)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
 
Lunch break
14:00-14:45

Diachrony and Evolution
T. GIVÓN
(University of Oregon, USA)
[ handout | paper ]
14:45-15:30

The Contribution of Language Contact to Morphosyntactic Change: Some Generalizations
Bernd HEINE
(Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan and University of Köln, Germany)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
 
Coffee break
15:45-16:30

Insubordination and Intersubjective Cognition: Morphosyntactic Reanalysis and the Pragmatics of Coordinating Mental Representations
Nick EVANS
(Australian National University, Australia)
[ abstract | handout | paper ]
16:30-17:30

Discussion

(Total: 13 papers)