MA course 2013-2014

Topics in Chinese linguistics

 

Jeroen Wiedenhof

Index

General information

See the Leiden e-Prospectus

Time and venue

Time: Second semester, Wednesdays 3:15 pm-5:00pm

Venue: Van Wijkplaats 2, Room 006

Sessions

Week 1 (5 Feb 14)

Texts

Assignments

1.  Chao's 序 will be introduced in class. We will also start translating his text on 連動式. No preparation is needed for this first session.

2.  Please pay attention to the historical, cultural and academic contexts of both texts. These will be explained and discussed in class.

FYI

LUCL Colloquium

Sharon Rose (University of California, San Diego): "Vowel Harmony Meets Centralization"

Date: 6 February 2014

Time: 15.30-17.00

Venue: Lipsius/028

Symposium: Bridging the Unbridgeable

English Usage Guides: The Early American Tradition

Date: 13 February 2014, various times and venues

Full program: see Symposium details

Conference: NACAL 42

The North American Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics

Dates: 14-16 February 2014, various times and venues

Full program: see Conference details


Week 2 (12 Feb 14)

Text

Assignments

3.  Read the assigned text, taking good notice of the background discussed in Week 1.

4.  Please note down any difficulties you may have in reading the text, and bring your notes to class.

5.  The English original is available from the reference shelves in the East Asian Library.

Compare the Chinese text to the original, especially in places where you find the Chinese text hard to read.

6.  Also consider the example of 並列式 in the first paragraph, which we discussed last time:

他天天寫信會客。Tā tiāntiār xiě xìn huì kè.

  • How does this example compare with its English original?

  • Can you spot any differences between and the English example and the translated example that might affect the line of argument in this text?

FYI

Studium Generale: Chinees schrift

"Chinese karakters: van bamboe tot billboard"

Datum en tijd: 19 februari 2014, 19u30 – 21u00

Plaats: Lipsius, zaal 011

Details: zie website


Week 3 (19 Feb 14)

Text

Chao (1959, 2002)

Assignments

7.  Read Chao's 第一講, noting down any difficulties you may have in reading the text. Please bring your notes to class.

8.  The BBC Worldservice program World Briefing broadcasted an item on 薄熙来 on 21 Feb 13.

An mp3 file can be found here; the item starts at 16'37".

Listen carefully to the way the Chinese name 薄熙来 is pronounced, first by the announcer, and then by the reporter.

(a) Now try to transcribe these two non-native pronunciations as precisely as possible in IPA, the International Phonetic Alphabet.

(b) Also transcribe a native Mandarin pronunciation of this name in IPA.

Hints: see the IPA charts.


Week 4 (26 Feb 14)

Texts

"Signe, signifié, signifiant" and "Premier principe: l'arbitraire du signe".

In: Ferdinand de Saussure, Cours de linguistique générale: Édition critique préparée par Tullio de Mauro [A course in general linguistics: Critical edition prepared by Tullio de Mauro], pp. 97-102.

Enlarged edition, Paris: Payot, 1985, reprint 1997. Postface by Louis-Jean Calvet.

First edition: 1972. De Saussure's original published by Charles Bally and Albert Séchehaye, in collaboration with Albert Riedlinger, Genève, 1916.

Online Scribd.com edition: Saussure, Ferdinand - Cours de Linguistique Generale, pp. 97-102.

Note: in the online edition, the text can be enlarged by pressing the "Full Screen" button.

...or in English translation:

"Sign, signified, signifier " and "Principle I: the arbitrary nature of the sign".

In: Ferdinand de Saussure, Course in general linguistics.

New York: Philosophical Library, 1959, pp. 65-70. Translation of Saussure (1916), translated by Wade Baskin.

Doc88 online browsable edition: Course in general linguistics, pp. 65-70.

Archive.org PDF edition: Course in general linguistics, pp. 65-70.

Note: on page 65, the illustration has been printed too low: it should follow immediately after the first paragraph of the text.

Assignments

The following requirements apply to all assignments in this course:

  • No digital hand-ins accepted: please print your work on paper
  • Always include your full name, student number, and the hand-in date
  • Use double line spacing throughout – except for the final version of your term paper
  • For each deadline during term, hand in your work at the beginning of class
  • Alternatively, you may hand in your work prior to class time in my pigeonhole at the Sinological Institute; please send me a heads-up by email
  • I will return your work with my comments
  • This list of proofreaders' marks may assist you in reading my comments
  • In case you wish to discuss my comments, please make an appointment

The following deadline applies to your term paper only:

  • Monday 16 June, 5:00pm

Hand-in Assignment #1

Hand in your assignment #11 below, printed on paper, at the beginning of class on 26 February, or in my pigeonhole beforehand.

Please note the format requirements mentioned above.

9.  Refresh your memory about the way different linguistic units can be represented in transcription.

Common transcription conventions are summarized in the online Transcriptiewijzer.

Caroline: since this text is in Dutch, please email me a.s.a.p. to schedule an appointment to discuss its contents.

10.  We will start with the last pages of Chao's 第一講. Please bring any remaining questions to class.

11.  In this lecture, Yuen Ren Chao tells an anecdote about an old Chinese woman, and then adds the original German version of the story.

Summarize Chao point in your own words. Make use of Saussure's original work to explain how Chao's point relates to the Saussurean notion of the signe.

  • Your summary is intended for an academically interested audience which does not know any Chinese, and is not necessarily trained in linguistics.
  • You need not quote each and every example from the story.
  • Please provide transcriptions and/or English translations for expressions from other languages wherever appropriate.
  • Small is beautiful: maximally four pages A4 at double line spacing

12.  Check again that you have assignment 8 prepared, and bring your work to class.

FYI

LUCL Colloquium

Michael Dunn (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen): "Evolution of Semantic systems"

Date: 28 February 2014

Time: 15.30-17.00

Venue: Lipsius/227


Week 5 (5 Mar 14)

Texts

From Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia

許慎 Xǔ Shèn, 說文解字 Shuō wén jiě zì [Discussion of simple characters and analysis of complex characters]

Edition: 说文解字: 附检字 Shuō wén jiě zì: Fù jiǎn zì [Discussion of simple characters and analysis of complex characters: With a character index]. 北京 Peking: 中華書局 Zhōnghuá shūjú, 1963. East Asian Library number: SINOL. 5093

This book is available on the teachers' shelves in the Leiden East Asian Library.

Assignments

13.  For the first two of these three titles, read the assigned text:

  • Galambos' Chapter Two, "The Qin and Han creation of the standard" and

  • the Wikipedia article "Shuowen Jiezi".

14.  Please note down any difficulties you may encounter in these two texts, and bring your notes to class.

15.  The third title is a modern reprint of the 說文解字.

(a) Have a good look at this book, which is currently available from the teachers' shelves in the Leiden East Asian Library.

(b) Check that you understand how the work is organised.

(c) Try to find the characters 說, 文, 解 and 字 in this dictionary.

Write down the page numbers and the dictionary's definition of these characters.

16.  Check if you can find an edition of the 說文解字 online.

17.   "Everything you wanted to know about phonetics but where afraid to ask"

Part Two: Vowels

Suggested reading:

18.  Info session on term papers

Discussion of individual topics

Scope, audience and terms

Literature suggestions

Format requirements & deadline: see week 3.


Week 6 (12 Mar 14)

No class

due to sick leave

 

Week 7 (19 Mar 14)

Texts

From Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia

許慎 Xǔ Shèn, 說文解字 Shuō wén jiě zì [Discussion of simple characters and analysis of complex characters]

Edition: 说文解字: 附检字 Shuō wén jiě zì: Fù jiǎn zì [Discussion of simple characters and analysis of complex characters: With a character index]. 北京 Peking: 中華書局 Zhōnghuá shūjú, 1963. East Asian Library number: SINOL. 5093

This book is available on the teachers' shelves in the Leiden East Asian Library.

Assignments

Hand-in Assignment #2

Hand in your assignment #20 below, printed on paper, at the beginning of class on 12 March, or in my pigeonhole beforehand.

Please note the format requirements.

19.  Remaining from last week: assignments 13-16.

20.  Write a first draft of your term paper.

Please keep the scope of this verrsion thematically restricted - you can always elaborate later.

As mentioned in class: please feel free to discuss your plans and ideas, but do not wait until the last moment to make an appointment.

  • Minimal requirements:

    – to formulate your research question for this paper

    – to quote one linguistic example

  • If you want, you can present more than one topic at this stage to choose from later
  • Maximal length: 1 sheet A4 per topic
  • Please do not not write text about your paper, but text for your paper

Make sure you hand in at least two trial versions during term.

The more versions you hand in, the more feedback you will get.

My Institute pigeonhole (Arsenaal building, first floor) is available for your (printed!) work at any time during term.

FYI

Kiliaan Lecture

Philip Durkin (Oxford English Dictionary): "Dutch loanwords in English"

Date: 24 April 2014

Time: 16:00

Venue: De Vrieshof 3, first floor

Block 4

Week 1 (2 Apr 14)

Texts

East Asian Library: linguistics handbooks shelves.

Reading notes

Assignments

21.  Please note down any difficulties you may encounter in these two texts, and bring your notes to class.

– Unless indicated otherwise, all assignments are about Sūn e.a. (2007).

22. Can you spot anything remarkable about the publishing details printed on page ii?

23. How would you characterize the first paragraph of p. 108?

24. On pp. 109-111, tone is established as the main criterion for a division of Sinitic dialect groups. Are other criteria available?

To answer this question, please consult pp. 181-182 of Jerry Norman, Chinese (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988; on the East Asian Library's handbooks shelves).

25. Are the two tabels on p. 111 given in phonetic or phonemic transcription?

26. Please check carefully if the overview of Peking Mandarin initials, finals and tones on p. 111 is complete.

27. On p. 113, the general lack of "形变" is described for Peking Mandarin.

Can you name a productive morphological process in Peking Mandarin nonetheless?

[Note: check the meaning of productive as a linguistic term]

28. The overview of Cantonese tones on p. 113 (lines 4-6) is followed by a number of examples.

(a) In case you speak Cantonese: please check if all 入声 tones that you can think of are covered in this overview.

  • If the answer is yes, please provide your own examples, citing free (not bound) forms only.
  • If the answer is no, please write down any missing tones, indicating their tonal values according to the five-point scale used in the text.

(b) If not: please make an inventory of all the 入声 tones given here. For each of these, please

  • give the tonal values according to the five-point scale used in the text;
  • cite the example, providing transcription, Chinese character, and English translation;
  • try to pronounce the example, and check your pronunciation with a Cantonese speaker.

29. In note 1 of p. 115, the original table quoted and reproduced here is supplemented by one extra possibility. Can you give more?

̄30. Please make sure that you understand all technical terms in the section on 六书 on p. 116.

31. Page 122 describes the 尔雅 dictionary. Please indicate in which ways this dictionary differs from a modern Chinese dictionary.

32. On p. 124, please identify 王力 and 俞敏.

33. On p. 126, please identify 陈第. One of his most famous quotes is shown below; can you translate it into English?

FYI

Call for papers, Linguistic Conference 2014

organized by the TWIST Student Association

Texts

East Asian Library: linguistics handbooks shelves.

Reading notes

Assignments

34.  Remaining from last week: assignments 27-33.

Week 3 (16 Apr 14)

Texts

Assignments

Oral Presentation

35.  On Wednesday, 16 April, a short oral presentation will be expected of you about the subject of your term paper.

Points of consideration:

  • Your presentation will be in English
  • Maximum duration is ten minutes – please time yourself in preparation!
  • Your target audience intelligent and interested, but not necessarily trained in linguistics or in Chinese. Fellow students from other departments may be invited to listen in.
  • A short handout for the audience will come in handy, because it will save you time writing on the blackboard (please prepare 5 copies)
  • Powerpoints are allowed, but only after prior consulation (over email) – also note that setting up your system will cut into your ten minutes!

In the assignments below, all question and page numbers refer to Hocket (1954) unless indicated otherwise.

36.  Read both texts and bring your reading notes to class.

37.  Background checks: make sure you know dates, publications and biographical facts for

  • Benjamin Lee Whorf
  • Charles Hockett

38.  Give three examples of "other derivative communicative systems" (p. 106).

39.  Check where Menomini (p. 108) is spoken.

Which language family does it belong to?

How many speakers does it have?

40.  On p. 109, Hockett mentions "Whorfs example of the blower".

This example and similar ones are given in Whorf (1941).

What examples can you give from personal experience?

41.  Why is Peking ~ Beijing ~ Běijīng ~ Yen-ching ~ Yànjīng called "Peiping" on p. 111?

For each of these names, give

  • characters,
  • transcription,
  • dates and/or
  • scope of usage.

42.  On p. 111. the comparison between Mandarin and English starts from the Mandarin word for 'train'.

Which semantic associations does the English equivalent have?

43.  Is it possible to calculate your own age in swèi on the basis of the description on pp. 112-113?

  • If so: please do so;
  • and if not: please explain why not.

44.  Describe the meaning of the term "homophonous" (first line of p. 114) in your own words.

45.  Pp. 114-115 describe a type of linguistis hiatus. There are several varieties, e.g.

(a) "Random Holes in Patterns" (p. 114):Isn't he? and Aren't you? are fine, but Amn't I? is not.

(b) Concepts one would like to have an expression for, but no language seems to have it.

– Or vice cersa: as soon as a new expression emerges, the worlds suddenly appears to be populated by the corresponding phenomenon.

(c) Concepts for which there is an appropriate terms in one language but not in another language.

Examples of type (c) will probably spring to mind immediately.

Now find examples in your mother tongue of types (a) en (b) – excluding those instances which might simultaneously be categorized as type (c).

46.  Describe in your own words what is meant with " 'chemistry' (either sense)" on page 115.

46.  Find more examples of "fluctuation in the agreeing verb" (p. 117) in a language of your choice.

47.  Check where Hopi (p. 119) is spoken

Which language family does it belong to?

How many speakers does it have?

48.  Describe a linguistic property of Mandarin illustrated by the contrast between the first two examples on p. 120.

49.  On p. 123 Hockett states that "even Aristotle's development of the syllogism represented a sort of semantic purification of everyday Greek".

a.  Illustrate the concept of the syllogism with your own example.

b.  To which discipline does the notion of the syllogism belong?

c.  From your own experience, find one or more differences between Aristotle's "semantic purification" (p. 123) and linguistic semantics.

Week 4 (23 Apr 14)

Texts

Assignments

50.  Last week, after your presentations, we discussed points of methodology, presentation and content.

Please review your notes about these and bring any remaining problems to class.

Make sure that you continue work on your term paper, and keep me informed about your progress.

51.  Remaining from last week: assignments 37-49.

52.  Read the two new texts by Schuessler and bring your reading notes to class.

Week 5 (30 Apr 14)

Texts

Assignments

Final Hand-in Assignment

53.  Hand in assignments #45 and #48 above, printed on paper, at the beginning of class on 30 April, or in my pigeonhole beforehand.

Please note the format requirements.

54.  Bring your reading notes about Schuessler's texts to class.

Week 6 (7 May 14)

Excursion

55.  On this last day of class, we will make a sightseeing tour of various linguistic hotspots at the Leiden Faculty of Humanities.

As discussed in class, at this occasion we will meet at 1:15pm in Lipsius, Room 203.

FYI

T.W.I.S.T.

The 8th T.W.I.S.T. Conference of linguistics

Date: 20 May 2014

Time: 10:30am-5:15pm

Venues: Parallel sessions in Lipsius, room 0.28 and Lipsius, room 1.47

Program: See PDF, but note the venues indicated above

Note: At the 2:30-to-3:00pm slot, your classmate Emmelot Vermaas will talk about "The influence of the Southern Min ka7-construction to the Taiwanese Mandarin -construction".

   

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