Final Vowel Length in Hausa: A Lexical, Morphophonological,and Phonetic Study (Linguistics)

该研究项目是对豪萨语最终元音长度的综合研究。豪萨语是尼日利亚和尼日尔的一种广泛使用的语言，是世界上比较罕见的语言之一，其长度在单词的末尾位置上有对比。这一发现有助于更深入地理解语法中形态句法成分中的缩略、加长和中和过程，并为这些差异在语言的不同层面上的运作提供了工具决定的描述。这项研究将通过提供一个全面的案例研究来检验这些概念，从而有助于目前人们对音系学中长度的理论地位的兴趣。纽曼博士的互动活动将包括教授她的专业课程(豪萨语和词典学)，指导豪萨语语言学的研究生，在各种论坛上发表客座演讲，并在语言学的一个子领域为女性学术界提供一个榜样，作为一名科学家，在这个领域，女性往往被低估。该项目进一步推动了VPW计划的目标，即：(1)为妇女提供机会，在NSF资助的工程和科学学科中发展她们的职业生涯；(2)通过提高受雇于工业、政府和学术机构的女科学家和工程师的知名度，鼓励妇女追求科学和工程事业。通过鼓励妇女参与科学，这是对国家未来科学活力的宝贵投资。

The research project is an integrated study of final vowel lengths in Hausa, a widely spoken language of Nigeria and Niger, one of the rarer languages of the world with contrastive length in word final position. The findings should throw light on the structure of the lexicon, contribute to a deeper understanding of shortening, lengthening, and neutralization processes in the morphosyntactic component of the grammar, and provide instrumentally determined descriptions of these differences operating at various levels of the language. The study will contribute to current interest in the theoretical status of length in phonology by providing a comprehensive case study on which to test such notions. Dr. Newman's interactive activities will include teaching courses in her specializations (Hausa language and lexicography), supervising graduate students in Hausa linguistics, presenting guest lectures at various forums, and generally providing a role model to the female academic community as a scientist working in a subfield of linguistics where women tend to be underrepre- sented. This project furthers VPW program objectives which are (1) to provide opportunities for women to advance their careers in engineering and in the disciplines of science supported by NSF and (2) to encourage women to pursue careers in science and engineering by providing greater visibility for women scientists and engineers employed in industry, government, and academic institutions. By encouraging the participation of women in science, it is a valuable investment in the Nation's future scientific vitality.