Linguistics Talks @ Western

2023-2024

March 14, 2024, 3:00pm (TALL University College Room: 3127)

Prof. Jacques Lamarche (Western University): Morphological Irregularities: Exceptions that Prove the Rules 

Abstract: In this presentation, he will explore the idea that morphological irregularities (e.g., the irregular plural forms like man~men and ox~oxen that contrast with the regular plural cat~cats, or the extreme case of morphological suppletion like go~went or be~am~is~etc.) have a natural function in natural language if we assume that model of grammar where syntactic rules operate on the formal (i.e., phonological) parts of lexemes. 

Under this view, words are labels – forms recognized as part of the lexicon of a language because they apply to realities defined outside the grammar – and grammar is understood as a logic of labeling.

Presenting an analysis of basic distinctions in English to illustrate, he will show how certain grammatical values covertly introduced by rules of composition are related to overt irregularities in the morphology of the language. The analysis leads to see morphological Irregularities in English as the Exceptions that Prove the Rules


March 1st, 2024, 2:00pm (TALL University College Room:C3127)

Prof. Susana Bejar (University of Toronto): Double trouble: Nominative case in copular clauses

This paper presents a typology of inflectional patterns in copular clauses with a NOMINATIVE-NOMINATE case frame and discuss consequences for theories of case and agreement.


November 30th, 2023, 3:00 pm (TALL UC3127)

Jillian Warman (Graduate Student @ Western University): "Positional Effects of Sonority on Russian/v/'

Chuqiao Wu (Graduate Student @ Western University): " The Impact of Face Masks on the Perception of L2 Phonetic Contrasts"

They will make a presentation on the current state of their MA research project.


October 26, 2023, 3:00pm (Tall, University College room 3127)

Jaques Lamarche (Western University)
"Morphological Irregularities: Exceptions that Prove the Rules"
Jacques Lamarche will explore the idea that morphological irregularities have a function in natural language 

October 5, 2023, 3:00pm (University College room 3127)

Ileana Paul (Western University)
"Here’s an analysis: Malagasy presentatives"
Ileana Paul will present a multi-author paper that has been accepted at this year AFLA (Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association) held in Lund University, Sweden. Co-authors: Vanilla Dimisy, Baholisoa Simone Ralalaoherivony, Jeannot Fils Ranaivoson, Lisa Travis

Shuki Otani (Osaka University, Visiting Graduate Student at Western University)
"Argument Ellipsis and Voice Agreement in Javanese and Tagalog"