research
My research program brings formally-rigorous semantic theory to the task of understanding typologically diverse meaning domains. Topics I work on have included mirativity, evidentiality, attitudinal expressions, event structure, and nominal reference. I am particularly interested in issues of theoretical identity vis-à-vis parameters of empirical variation, and mechanisms of diachronic change.
I also work on issues in the linguistic history of Sino-Tibetan and its subgroups, particularly Bodish.
ongoing projects
Mirativity is a notional meaning category, roughly described as conveying surprise, novelty, unexpectedness, "unprepared mind," etc. In my 2023 dissertation, I articulate a view of the core semantics of mirativity as a set of attitudes, and propose at least 5 parameters of empirical variation. I continue to investigate the cross-linguistic landscape of this parametrical variation, as well as the mechanisms of diachronic development ("grammaticalization") of mirative & other attitudinal markers. Moreover, I consider the implications of these elements to the theory of epistemic commitments in discourse, the structure of updates, and semantic change.
I draw on data from typologically diverse languages (Wu, Tibetan, Turkic), including from original & collaborative fieldwork.
Segmental and morphological reconstruction has been a major challenge in Sino-Tibetan historical linguistics, due to an overwhelming tendency towards monosyllabicity and segment-eroding tonogenesis. Focusing on the Bodish subgroup, which includes Tibetan, I investigate the extent to which proto-morphological elements can be reconstructed, with careful and principled study of the clues of lexicalized semantic shift.
I use a combination of textual, lexicographical and fieldwork data spanning multiple subgroups (Tibetic, Tamangic, Eastern Bodish).
Publications
2022
GL-impsing Bodish: Agentive transitivization prefix g- in Tamangic and Tibetan. Cahiers de Linguistique Asie Orientale 51(2). 139-174. DOI: https://doi.org/10. 1163/19606028-bja10024.
2019
Definiteness in Mandarin post-verbal bare NPs: a thematic account. Proceedings of the 55th Chicago Linguistics Society Annual Meeting.
Book review: Roland Bielmeyer et al. “Comparative Dictionary of the Tibetan Dialects - Volume 2: Verbs”. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (BSOAS) 83/1.
selected invited talks
2023
A preliminary mix-ology of messy Tibetan verb paradigms. Linguistics Research Seminar Series. Trinity College Dublin. [video]
2021
Semantically-informed morphological reconstruction in Sino-Tibetan: case studies from Bodish. 2nd Emerging Scholars Colloquium on Sino-Tibetan Historical Linguistics. Peking University.
2016
Linguistic Fieldwork in the Himalayas: Aspects and Perspectives. Linguistics Roundtable. Renwen Society at the China Institute, New York, NY.
Selected Presentations
2023
Word Journals: Using active, co-constructive assignments to broaden general-interest linguistics. Talk at the 2022 Conference on Scholarly Teaching and SoTL in Linguistics (CoSTaSiL23). [abstract]
2022
(With Eszter Ótott-Kovács) A tale of two -mIş's: between evidential and attitudinal semantics.Talk at the 7th Workshop on Turkic and Languages in Contact with Turkic (Tu+7). [handout]
2022
(With Eszter Ótott-Kovács) How reportatives become attitudinal: Turkish "double evidential" in diachronic and cross-linguistic view.Talk at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America (LSA2022). [video]
2021
Mirativity as temporally-shiftable (not) knowledge acquisition: A Shanghai Wu case study. Poster presented at the 45th Penn Linguistics Conference (PLC45).
2019
Descending, or lost, into intransitivity: the pathway from perfective transitives to resultative intransitives. Talk at the 24th International Converence on Historical Linguistics (ICHL24). Australian National University.
2019
Transitivity-sensitive aspect morphology: Gurung and Bodish. Talk at the 52nd International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (ICSTLL52). University of Sydney.
Diachronic development of accusativity in Tibetan subject relative clauses. Talk at the 20th Diachronic Generative Syntax Conference (DiGS20). University of York..