CAREER: Chittagong Hill Tracts Linguistic Documentation

在国家科学基金会的支持下，David A.Peterson博士将在孟加拉国的吉大港山区进行语言研究，目标是为该地区尽可能多的土著语言提供高质量的文献材料。所讨论的大多数土著语言都属于藏缅语系；它们都很少被描述，在一些情况下还濒临灭绝。彼得森博士将在已经为库基-钦语(一种重要的库基-钦语)收集的材料的基础上，制作一本参考语法、词典和文本集。然后，他将把注意力转向MRU的文件，这是一种几乎没有描述的语言，其在藏缅语系中的地位尚未牢固确立。该项目将提供数据，以推动对这一语系的比较语言学研究。该项目还包括为孟加拉实地工作者和达特茅斯学院的学生提供研究培训。彼得森博士将在达卡大学为高级本科生和研究生讲授在山区进行田野调查的课程，并指导孟加拉国田野工作者为期一年的其他土著语言研究项目。胡米语和MRU的演讲者将被带到美国，在学年期间与PI合作，并担任达特茅斯学院实地方法课程的顾问。通过讲习班和孟加拉国实地工作人员的资助，该项目旨在在孟加拉国土著社区中开创实地研究的传统。

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. David A. Peterson will conduct linguistic research in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh with the goal of providing high-quality documentation materials for as many indigenous languages spoken in the region as possible. Most of the indigenous languages in question belong to the Tibeto-Burman family of languages; they are all under-described and in several cases endangered. Building on materials already collected for Khumi, an important Kuki-Chin language, Dr. Peterson will produce a reference grammar, dictionary, and collection of texts. He will then turn his attention to the documentation of Mru, a virtually undescribed language whose position in the Tibeto-Burman family is not yet firmly established. The project will provide data which will advance comparative linguistic studies for this language family. The project also includes research training for Bangladeshi fieldworkers and students at Dartmouth College. Dr. Peterson will teach workshops at the University of Dhaka for advanced undergraduate and graduate students on conducting fieldwork in the Hill Tracts, and direct year-long research programs on other indigenous languages for Bangladeshi fieldworkers. Speakers of Khumi and Mru will be brought to the U.S. to work with the PI during the academic year and to serve as consultants in field methods courses at Dartmouth College. Through the workshops and the funding of Bangladeshi fieldworkers, the project aims to initiate a tradition of field research among indigenous communities in Bangladesh.