Thomas Stolz
Universität Bremen, Linguistics, Faculty Member
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This study provides evidence in favor of a
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This paper examines some of the problems which arise in connection with the question of whether or not reduplication is a language universal. The point of departure of the study is Moravcsik’s (1978) seminal paper on reduplicative... more
This paper examines some of the problems which arise in connection with the question of whether or not reduplication is a language universal. The point of departure of the study is Moravcsik’s (1978) seminal paper on reduplicative constructions in cross-linguistic perspective. In the main body of the paper, the picture of the geo-linguistic distribution of reduplication that is painted in the World Atlas of Language Structures (Haspelmath et al. 2005) is critically evaluated. The results of the evaluation serve as background for the discussion of the current stalemate of opinions in the ongoing discussion of the supposed universality of reduplication. To resolve the impasse, a prototype-based approach is sketched which may allow us to recommence the collection of empirical data on an unprejudiced basis.
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This study provides evidence in favor of a
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Research Interests: Geography and Phenomenon
Research Interests: Psychology, Linguistics, Negation, Word, Scrutiny, and 3 moreOpposition Politics, Word War I, and Markedness
This book is a functional-typological study of possession splits in European languages. It shows that genetically and structurally diverse languages such as Icelandic, Welsh, and Maltese display possessive systems which are sensitive to... more
This book is a functional-typological study of possession splits in European languages. It shows that genetically and structurally diverse languages such as Icelandic, Welsh, and Maltese display possessive systems which are sensitive to semantically based distinctions reminiscent of the alienability correlation. These distinctions are grammatically relevant in many European languages because they require dedicated constructions. What makes these split possessive systems interesting for the linguist is the interaction of semantic criteria with pragmatics and syntax. Neutralisation of distinctions occurs under focus. The same happens if one of the constituents of a possessive construction is syntactically heavy. These effects can be observed in the majority of the 50 sample languages. Possessive splits are strong in those languages which are outside the Standard Average European group. The bulk of the European languages do not behave much differently from those non-European languages for which possession splits are reported. The book reveals interesting new facts about European languages and possession to typologists, universals researchers, and areal linguists.
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This article describes the formal varieties and polysemy patterns of comitative case based on a worldwide convenience sample of 320 languages (including regional varieties). The inventory of formal means expressing Comitative comprises... more
This article describes the formal varieties and polysemy patterns of comitative case based on a worldwide convenience sample of 320 languages (including regional varieties). The inventory of formal means expressing Comitative comprises the following major strategies: affixation (both on [pro]nouns and verbs), adpositional constructions, adverbial constructions, and serial-verb constructions. For the present purpose, these strategies are considered instances of case relators. In the sample, bound morphology encodes Comitative in 50 per cent of those cases which do not display Comitative-Instrumental syncretism. As to affixation, suffixation expectedly predominates. However, prefixation and circumfixation are also attested more than just once. Similarly, the adpositional strategies include prepositions, postpositions, and circumpositions. This article also discusses restrictions on the use of Comitative, uses of comitative markers in complex structures, and the diachrony of Comitative.
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Page 94. THOMAS STOLZ (BREMEN/GERMANY) Survival in a niche. On gender-copy in Chamorro (and sundry languages) Abstract This study looks at an especially interesting case of gender-copy. The Austronesian language ...
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... Stella Markantonatou, Elena Maslova, Kazuto Matsumura, Thomas Menzel, Marianne Mithun, Edith Moravcsik, Claire Moyse-Faurie, Nicole Müller ... Stassen, Christel Stolz, Chuluu Ujiyediin, Tim van Baar, Catharina van Klincken, Willy van... more
... Stella Markantonatou, Elena Maslova, Kazuto Matsumura, Thomas Menzel, Marianne Mithun, Edith Moravcsik, Claire Moyse-Faurie, Nicole Müller ... Stassen, Christel Stolz, Chuluu Ujiyediin, Tim van Baar, Catharina van Klincken, Willy van Langendonck, Yann Vincent, Suzanne ...
The Sounds of EuropeThis article is meant to demonstrate not only that it is possible technically but that it also makes sense linguistically to study phonological phenomena in a pan-European perspective. To prove our point, we employ the... more
The Sounds of EuropeThis article is meant to demonstrate not only that it is possible technically but that it also makes sense linguistically to study phonological phenomena in a pan-European perspective. To prove our point, we employ the current comparative methodology associated with the framework of typologically-inspired areal linguistics. The data are evaluated quantitatively. We focus on the classes of velar and post-velar fricatives with phoneme status. Our investigation is based empirically on data drawn from a sample of 157 contemporary varieties spoken in Europe. Our results are indicative of a non-random distribution of the above classes of phonemes. Genetic, typological and areal factors are discussed as potential explanations of the observed geo-linguistic distribution of velar and post-velar fricatives on European soil. The general conclusion we draw is that it is high time to develop a research program which is dedicated to the continent-wide in-depth study of the pho...
Research Interests: History and Linguistics
... when a new grammatical category arises.As a number of studies on grammati-calization suggest (Lehmann 1985; Heine, Claudi & Hünnemeyer 1991; Bybee, Per-kins & Pagliuca 1994; Heine &... more
... when a new grammatical category arises.As a number of studies on grammati-calization suggest (Lehmann 1985; Heine, Claudi & Hünnemeyer 1991; Bybee, Per-kins & Pagliuca 1994; Heine & Kuteva 2002; Hopper & Traugott ... Maddi 1975: 181; Enninger & Thomas 1987: 12). ...