Doctoral Dissertation Research: Syntax and its interfaces in an endangered language

这个项目对母语人士进行了详细的实地调查，研究影响词汇选择的因素，以及说话者如何用一种未被充分研究和濒危的语言来传达他们所知道和不知道的信息。虽然说所有语言的人都会做出这些选择，但用一种濒危的、研究较少的语言来解决这个问题很重要，原因有两个：1)理解说不同语言的人做出的选择是识别不同语言之间普遍模式的关键；2)这种语言有许多不同语言之间不常见的特征，这使它成为当前语言学理论的有用试验场。该研究包括三个案例研究，探索动词的结构和含义，如“think”和“say”，翻译为“might”和“must”的单词，以及暗示说话者已经知道答案的问题。在所有这些情况下，说话者必须选择使用一个特定的单词或句子类型，而不是另一个，这往往有超出句子字面意思的含义。这种类型的研究很难在未被充分研究的语言中进行，因为它需要对语言的语法和语义有基本的了解，而本项目也对此有所贡献。这项研究将基于对母语人士的采访，以及口头叙述和说话者之间的对话。除了推进语言学理论之外，该项目还为社区提供语言材料，包括一个包含实用单词和短语的在线“生活词典”，以及相应的录音。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project uses detailed fieldwork with native speakers to study the factors that influence word choices in how speakers convey information about what they do and do not know in an understudied and endangered language. While speakers of all languages make these choices, addressing this question in an endangered and less studied language is important for two reasons: 1) understanding the choices that speakers of different languages make is key to identifying universal patterns across languages, and 2) this language has many features that are not common across languages, which make it a useful testing ground for current linguistic theories.The research involves three case studies exploring the structure and meaning of verbs like 'think' and 'say', words that translate as both 'might' and 'must', and questions that imply that the speaker already knows the answer. In all of these cases, speakers must choose to use one particular word or sentence type over another, which often has implications that go beyond the literal meaning of the sentence. This type of research is difficult to conduct in understudied languages, since it requires a basic knowledge of the language's syntax and semantics, to which this project also contributes. The research will be based on interviews with native speakers, as well as oral narratives and conversations between speakers. In addition to advancing linguistic theory, this project contributes to the creation of language materials for the community, including an online "living dictionary" containing practical words and phrases with corresponding audio recordings.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.