TYPOLOGY

Introduction in LinguisticsTongji University November 11 2013Marjoleine Sloos

What to learn?

Language typology Language universals

Syntactic typology Phonological typology Dialect typology

Contents

Language typology Language Universals Syntactic typology: Word order Phonological typology: Segmental inventory

Dialect typology Chinese dialects: dialect tree Predictions Segmental inventory Syllable structure Tonal inventory Syntactic differences

The comparison of structural patterns between languages and language varieties.

What Is Language Typology?

Word order

Which languages do you know? What is the word-order in terms of

SVO?

Word order

English Annie drinks tea SVO

Chinese Anna he cha SVO

French Anne bois té SVO

Dutch Anne drinkt thee SVO

German Anne trinkt Tee SVO

Japanese

Anna ga cha o nomu

SOV

Word order

English Annie drinks Chinese tea

AN

Chinese Anna he zhong shi cha

AN

French Anne bois té Chinoise

NA

Dutch Anne drinkt Chinese thee

AN

German Anne trinkt chinesischen Tee

AN

Japanese

Anna ga chugoku cha o nomu

AN

Language Universals

Joseph Greenberg (1915-2001) supposed there are a number of universals in languages

Basic order SVO? AN? Others are derived from that? Or: language samples investigated are

biased? Large database: http://wals.info/

Universal implications

If a language has X, it also has Y E.g. If a language has X, it also has Y "If a language has primarily an SOV

order and the genitive follows the noun, then the adjective also follows the noun”

“If a language has gender specification, it must have number specification”

Phonological Typology

Segmental inventory Consonants Vowels

Tonal inventory Number of tones Tonal contours

Syllable construction C1V C1VC2 C1GV C1GVC2 Possible restrictions on C1 or C2 Co-occurrence restrictions

Anhui dialect Shaanxi dialect Shanghai dialect

Mandarin Shanghai dialect Fujian Dialect

Zhejiang dialect

Henan dialect

Chinese dialects

Anhui Shaanxi Mandarin Henan Zhejiang Wu Shanghai Fujian Min

Consonant Chart IPA

Vowel chart IPA

Chinese dialects: Consonant inventory Anhui Shaanxi Henan Zhejiang Shanghai Fujian

Chinese dialects: Vowel inventory Anhui Shaanxi Henan Zhejiang Shanghai Fujian

Chinese dialects: Typology of tone Anhui Shaanxi Henan Zhejiang Shanghai Fujian

Chinese dialects: Syllable construction Anhui Shaanxi Henan Zhejiang Shanghai Fujian

Typological analysis

Segmental inventory Mandarin Wu Min Between

Typological analysis

Segmental inventory Mandarin Wu Min Between

Typological analysis

Tonal Mandarin Wu Min Between

Typological analysis

Syllable Structure Mandarin Wu Min Between

What did we learn?

How to analyse languages and dialects typologically

Main topics in typology Syntax: Word order Morphology: Reduplication Phonology: Segmental inventory, tone,

syllable structure

Assignment

As a group: finish the typology of the Chinese dialects Compare the different dialect groups (Mandarin,

Wu, Min) with each other; are the differences smaller/larger than within the Wu and Mandarin groups?

Is the difference between Mandarin and Min larger than between Mandarin and Wu/Min and Wu? In which respects (not)?

Is Wu in between Mandarin and Min? In which respects (not)?

Is there a relation between geographical distance and typological difference?

Assignment

As a group: finish the typology of the Chinese dialects Write a paper in which

For each dialects you describe the sound inventory, tonal inventory, syllable structure

You describe the typological differences between the dialects and the dialect groups

You speculate about the relation between geographical distance and typological difference

Next week

Language acquisition