The Joys of Linguistics and the Study of Iñupiaq Language

1. The Joys of Linguistics and the Study of Iñupiaq Language BarrowArctic Science Consortium, 15th October 2011, Signe Rix Berthelin, NTNU, Trondheim

2. The Joy of Linguistics and the Study of Iñupiaq Language Linguistics, introduction to the sub-diciplines How these sub-diciplinesapply to Iupiaq MA research on Evidentiality and Modality in Iñupiaq Questions and comments

3. About me and my motivation for studying Iñupiaq Signe Rix Berthelin 26 years old Grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark, Live and study in Trondheim, Norwaysince 2006 Graduate student of Linguistics Linguistics, Swahili and Anthropology in my BA MA on Evidentiality and Modality in Iñupiaq Visiting the Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

4. About me and my motivation for studying Iñupiaq Danish and Norwegian – very similar, mutually intelligible But! Watch out for differences.. Tak, det var rart DK Thankyou, thatwasnice NO Thankyou, thatwaswierd

5. About me and my motivation for studying Iñupiaq WhyLinguistics? Love language, especiallywords and meaning Interest from mymother WhyIñupiaq? Conrtribute to an endangeredlanguage Conrtributeto livelylanguage Like the grammar of Iñupiaq Interestednativecultures of Alaska

6. Linguistics

7. Linguistics Sounds

8. Linguistics Sounds Grammar

9. Linguistics Sounds Meaning Grammar

10. Linguistics Sounds

11. Phonetics and Phonology Sounds • Speech sounds – Phonetics → production of speech sounds. • Systems of speech sounds – Phonology → which sounds maybecombined in a language? → stress, intonation etc.

12. Phonetics • vs. spelling • Spelling is abitrary ghoti = fish

13. Phonetics ghoti = fish gh= f as in rough

14. Phonetics ghoti = fish gh= f as in rough o = i as in women

15. Phonetics ghoti = fish gh= f as in rough o = i as in women ti= sh as in nation

16. Phonetics • International PhoneticAlphabet (IPA) fish= [ˈfɪʃ] nation = [ˈneɪʃən] Links: http://www.paulmeier.com/ipa/charts.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet

17. Production of speech sounds • qimmiq‘dog’ • candy Where is the articulationtaking place?

18. Production of speech sounds • qimmiq • candy qimmiq = one dog qimmik = twodogs → /q/ and /k/ aredifferent phonemes in Iñupiaq Phoneme = smallest meaningdiffering unit.

19. Phonology • System of speech sounds • Languages sound differently → they ”allow” different sounds → differentcombinations of sounds Swahili: mbuzi ‘goat’ mb at the beginning English: lamb mb at the end Danish: rød ‘red’ ð at the end English: that ð at the beginning Swahili: maua 3 vowels Iñupiaq: max 2 vowels (insert g)

20. Phonology Iñupiaq’spreferredcombinations (North Slope) aġnat + guuq = aġnatguuq women + it is said= it is saidthat the women

21. Phonology Iñupiaq’spreferredcombinations (North Slope) aġnat + guuq = aġnatguuq, aġnarguuq women + it is said= it is saidthat the women t → r ?

22. Phonology aġnat + guuq = aġnatguuq, aġnarguuq women + it is said= it is saidthat the women • Assimilation; making the sounds more similar tg → rg • In Iñupiaq, stops (p, t, ch, k, q) don’tlikebeingnext to a consonantwhich is not from thisgroup.

23. Phonology Dialectal differences: Less assimilation BarrowKobuk qavvikqapvik ‘wolverine’ qimmiqqipmiq ‘dog’ minŋiqmitŋiq ‘jump’ • Otherdialects in othervillages? Wainwright? Nuiqsut? • Differences according to age? • Differences accordinghowyoulearnedIñupiaqe.g. throughwriting vs. spoken? • How did Iñupiaq sound 100 yearsago?

24. Linguistics Sounds Grammar

25. Morphology and Syntax Holly destroyed the flowers.

26. Morphologyand Syntax How are the wordsbuilt? Holly destroyedthe flowers. -ed = pasts = plural Morpheme: smallest meaningbearing unit • destroy • -ed • -s

27. Morphology and Syntax Whatare the function of the words? Holly destroyed the flowers. SubjectVerb Object • Default wordorder in English

28. Morphology and Syntax Differentmeaning: The flowersdestroyed Holly SubjectVerb Object • Freewordorder in Iñupiaq: SimikStuaqpakmiittuq SimikittuqStuaqpakmi *SimikitStuaqpakmituq

29. Morphology How are the wordsbuilt? • Iñupiaq • Swahili • Chukchi • German • English • Latin

30. Morphology How are the wordsbuilt? Polysynthetic and aglutinatinglanguages: • Iñupiaq • Swahili • Chukchi Lesssynthetic and more flectionallanguages: • German • English • Latin

31. Morphology Iñupiaq Polysynthetic and agglutinative Much”info” in verbMorphemes ‘glued’ together kukiullaniaqtuq kukiu-lla-niaq-tuq ‘hewillbeable to cook’ Modality Time Person NumberMood Dynamic FUT 3rd SG IND.

32. Morphology English Less synthetic and more flectional Less ”info” in verb buy → bought He eats pesto. He bought the flowers. Time Person Number Time Pres. 3rd Sing. PAST

33. Morphology • Most languages in the world have 4-8 ”pieces of information in the verb”.

34. Linguistics Sounds Meaning Grammar

35. Semantics and Pragmatics Meaning in language • Word meaning – Semantics → whatdoes the sentencemean? • Meaning in context– Pragmatics → what is communicatedby uttering the sentence

36. Semantics and Pragmatics It is okay that I lay an egg here?

37. Semantics and Pragmatics It is okay that I lay an egghere? • Lay an egg(chickencontext?) vs. • Lay an egg(I’mholdingan egg in myhand)

38. Semantics - ambiguity Polysemy • Multiple meanings • Same form, etymologicallyrelatedmeanings bat (animal) bat (for striking a ball) • Talkingaboutanimals • Talkingabout a base ball game Homonymy • Same name • Same form, unrelatedmeanings bear (animal) bear (carry) • Look! A bear! • That’s more than I canbear.

39. Semantics German • Bank – financial institution • Bank – bench From Italy: Bench (bank) was the place for moneydealing

40. Semantics LexicalAmbiguity • Homonomy or polysemy? • Decisions whencomliling a dictionary Dictionary entries: Polysemy – one entry Homonymy – two seperate entries • Relatedmeaningsaccording to history • Is the relation ‘alive’ today?

41. Semantics qau qau¹ = forehead qau² = I’mhere, I’m present Polysemy or homonymy?

42. Semantics Metaphoricalextensions Frozenmetaphos in English: foot(on a leg) foot(of the mountain) neck(body part) neck(of the bottle) More?

43. Semantics Metaphoricalextensions • Cross linguisticaltendency: names for body parts as source domain for namingotherthings • Same tendency in Iñupiaq? • Othertendencies in Iñupiaq? qau¹ = forehead qau² = I’mhere, I’mpresent → connection or coinsidence? (Homonymy or polysemy/metaphoricalextension?)

44. Semantics Metaphoricalextensions Source domain Reciever Domain warvocabulary→ argument/discussionvocabulary Attack He attackedmy arguments. Win/loose I won the discussion. She lost the argument. DefendShedefended her point of view. • Similar patterns in Iñupiaq?

45. Semantics Structuralambiguity The Joys of Linguistics and the Study of Iñupiaq Language

46. Semantics Meaning 1 The Joys of Linguistics and the Study of Iñupiaq Language

47. Semantics Meaning 2: The Joys of Linguisticsand the Study of Iñupiaq Language • Structuralambiguity in Iñupiaq?

48. Semantics - Modality • Meaning of modal and evidentialexpressions • Whatdoesmightmean? • Meanings of the ”corresponding” wordmaydiffereven in relatedlanguages:

49. Semantics - Modality Må jeg komme med? DK Can I come with you? NO Must I come with you? Jeg må ha’ chokolade DK I must have chockolate NO I must have chockolate → whatdoes the world have to belike to utterthissentence? → in whichsituation? → whichcommunicative purpose? → what has the speaker ”experienced”?

50. Semantics - Modality Må jeg komme med? DK Can I come with you? Asking for permission to come NO Must I come with you? Askingifobliged to go Jeg må ha’ chokolade DK I must have chockolateIn need for chockolate NO I must have chockolateIn need for chockolate → whatdoes the world have to belike to utterthissentence → in which situation → whichcommunicative purpose → what has the speaker ”experienced”?