Journal Description
Languages
Languages
is an international, multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal on interdisciplinary studies of languages published monthly online by MDPI. The European Society for Transcultural and Interdisciplinary Dialogue (ESTIDIA) is affiliated with Languages and its members receive discounts on the article processing charges.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High Visibility: indexed within Scopus, ESCI (Web of Science), ERIH Plus, and other databases.
- Journal Rank: CiteScore - Q2 (Language and Linguistics)
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 52.7 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 8.6 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the second half of 2023).
- Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
Impact Factor:
0.9 (2022)
Latest Articles
You Can Help Us! The Impact of Formal and Informal Second-Person Pronouns on Monetary Donations
Languages 2024, 9(6), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060199 - 30 May 2024
Abstract
Does it matter whether charitable organizations address potential donors with an informal or formal second-person pronoun in their appeal to donate money? This study shows that it does indeed make a difference. Using an informal pronoun of address can have a positive effect
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Does it matter whether charitable organizations address potential donors with an informal or formal second-person pronoun in their appeal to donate money? This study shows that it does indeed make a difference. Using an informal pronoun of address can have a positive effect on intentions to donate money. An online experiment (n = 220) found that a charitable appeal to potential donors was more effective when an informal rather than a formal second-person pronoun was used in Dutch, particularly for altruistic people. We discuss the potential explanations of this effect, concentrating on the association between the informal pronoun of address and perceived closeness, and the generic versus deictic reference of informal pronouns of address in Dutch.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perception and Processing of Address Terms)
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Language Policy and Practices in an Ethiopian University towards Multilingualism
by
Keresa Kumera Chali and Andrea Parapatics
Languages 2024, 9(6), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060198 - 28 May 2024
Abstract
The study explores an Ethiopian higher education institution’s language policy and practices, explicitly focusing on multilingualism. Thе rеsеarch highlights a discrеpancy between languagе policy and classroom rеalitiеs. Despite English being officially designated as the primary instructional medium of higher education institutions, the prevalent
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The study explores an Ethiopian higher education institution’s language policy and practices, explicitly focusing on multilingualism. Thе rеsеarch highlights a discrеpancy between languagе policy and classroom rеalitiеs. Despite English being officially designated as the primary instructional medium of higher education institutions, the prevalent environment for teaching and learning is multilingual, incorporating Afaan Oromoo, Amharic, and other languages alongside English. This disparity challеngеs thе monolingual languagе еducation policy mandatеd by thе Ethiopian constitution. The study employs a mixed-methods approach to offer a comprehensive perspective on the issue, stressing the necessity for a more holistic understanding of the situation. Furthеrmorе, thе rеsеarch indicatеs that thе Ethiopian constitution lacks еxplicit provisions addressing multilingualism within highеr еducation institutions, rеvеaling a gap in thе lеgal framework. This misalignmеnt calls for potential policy adjustmеnts to bеttеr accommodatе thе multilingual nature of highеr еducation. Bеyond thе classroom, both instructors and studеnts frеquеntly usе Afaan Oromoo, Amharic, and othеr hеritagе languagеs in thеir intеractions, furthеr еmphasizing thе importancе of undеrstanding thеsе languagе dynamics in thе Ethiopian highеr еducation contеxt. Ovеrall, this study undеrscorеs thе nееd for a closеr еxamination of languagе practicеs and thеir implications, offеring insights into promoting morе inclusivе еducation and informеd languagе policiеs within Ethiopian highеr еducation institutions.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linguistic Practices in Heritage Language Acquisition)
Open AccessArticle
Reanalyzing Variable Agreement with tu Using an Online Megacorpus of Brazilian Portuguese
by
Scott A. Schwenter, Lauren Miranda, Ileana Pérez and Victoria Cataloni
Languages 2024, 9(6), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060197 - 28 May 2024
Abstract
We reanalyze the phenomenon of verbal (non)agreement with the 2SG tu in a megacorpus of Brazilian Portuguese compiled from the web. Unlike previous research, which has analyzed sociolinguistic interview data and regional differences, we examine these data with a focus on the internal
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We reanalyze the phenomenon of verbal (non)agreement with the 2SG tu in a megacorpus of Brazilian Portuguese compiled from the web. Unlike previous research, which has analyzed sociolinguistic interview data and regional differences, we examine these data with a focus on the internal linguistic factors that constrain the variability. Our analysis of 4860 tokens of tu + verb reveals that non-agreement with the 3SG verb form is by far the most common pattern, 2SG agreement being relatively infrequent. Individual verb lexemes show highly distinct rates of (non)agreement. In addition, the specific tense/aspect/mood forms and main/auxiliary status are likewise significant factors affecting the variation. We conclude that future studies of this phenomenon should not ignore these internal linguistic factors. We situate our study within a group of other recent studies in Romance linguistics, which have found that individual verbal and constructional patterns can have diverse effects on morphosyntactic variation.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)
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Galician Perfective Periphrases among Complex Predicates: Degrees of Grammaticalization and the Possibility of a Perfect Tense
by
Natalia Jardón
Languages 2024, 9(6), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060196 - 27 May 2024
Abstract
The so-called perífrasis perfectivas in Galician present the action as concluded or realized. This particular aspectual feature constitutes the common ground for an otherwise heterogeneous set of constructions, ranging from rematar de ‘finish’+ infinitive (e.g., rematóu de beber ‘(s/he) finished drinking’) to ter
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The so-called perífrasis perfectivas in Galician present the action as concluded or realized. This particular aspectual feature constitutes the common ground for an otherwise heterogeneous set of constructions, ranging from rematar de ‘finish’+ infinitive (e.g., rematóu de beber ‘(s/he) finished drinking’) to ter ‘have’ + participle (e.g., teñen ido ‘(they) have gone (Rep.)’). This work provides a critical assessment of their syntactic and semantic properties in cases where the participle may not show agreement. This is the case for periphrases built on three auxiliaries: ter, levar, and dar, of which ter + participle stands out as the most grammaticalized one. The case of ter is further investigated in relation to European Portuguese (EP) and Brazilian Portuguese (BP), where ter + participle is considered a fully-fledged perfect tense. Additionally, the use of these periphrases in areas where Spanish is also present is evaluated from a contact perspective.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)
Open AccessArticle
Mood Alternation with Adverbs of Uncertainty in Galician: A Multifactorial Analysis
by
Vítor Míguez
Languages 2024, 9(6), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060195 - 24 May 2024
Abstract
This study investigates the factors that significantly constrain mood selection in Galician within uncertainty adverb constructions, applying a logistic regression model. This analysis identified several significant factors affecting the choice between the indicative and subjunctive moods, including the temporal context of the clause,
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This study investigates the factors that significantly constrain mood selection in Galician within uncertainty adverb constructions, applying a logistic regression model. This analysis identified several significant factors affecting the choice between the indicative and subjunctive moods, including the temporal context of the clause, the preceding adverb, and the interaction of fictional and nonfictional registers with the verb type of the predicate and the gender of the speaker/writer. Time reference and the preceding adverb emerged as primary factors conditioning mood choice, with present and future time frames and adverbs encoding weaker epistemic values significantly predisposing toward the subjunctive mood. This study also highlighted the influence of the gender of the speaker/writer, demonstrating the preference of women toward the indicative mood in fictional texts. Verb type and register interact in complex ways that only partially align with previous findings. The results of the present study contribute to a deeper understanding of syntactic variation in Galician, adding to a growing body of quantitative research on Galician grammar.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)
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A Diachronic Overview of the Prepositional Accusative in Portuguese
by
Ana Regina Calindro
Languages 2024, 9(6), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060194 - 24 May 2024
Abstract
One of the several differences between Modern European Portuguese (EP) and Modern Brazilian Portuguese (BP) is the prepositional expression of complements licensed by the preposition a. While in EP the preposition a occurs in several contexts, this element has been substituted by
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One of the several differences between Modern European Portuguese (EP) and Modern Brazilian Portuguese (BP) is the prepositional expression of complements licensed by the preposition a. While in EP the preposition a occurs in several contexts, this element has been substituted by other strategies in BP, as is extensively discussed in the literature. The aim of this paper is to investigate the historical behavior of a-marked prepositional accusatives (PP-ACC) in Portuguese. In order to do so, a search was conducted for PP-ACCs in the Historical Portuguese Corpus Tycho Brahe. The results showed an increase of PP-ACCs in the 17th century, followed by a decrease in the 18th century. Thereafter, unmarked accusatives (NP-ACC) were analyzed in the corpus, which resulted in 7756 sentences, contrasting with 624 PP-ACCs in the same contexts. This result shows that the a-marked accusative is far less common than bare accusatives in Historical Portuguese. Psych verbs, however, behaved differently, showing a constant increase in PP-ACCs. In EP, the preposition a still introduces Experiencer arguments in structures with some psych verbs (O vinho agradou ao João—lit. ‘The wine pleased ‘to’ John’). In BP, the preposition a has disappeared in psych predicates (O vinho agradou Ø o João—‘The wine pleased John’). In both Modern EP and BP, most PP-ACCs have become typical unmarked direct objects. In the context of psych verbs, however, structural accusative assignment has shifted to structural dative Case in Modern EP, so as to ascertain the interpretation of the Experiencer in the internal argument via the preposition a. While in Modern BP, the argument is not overtly marked since it receives inherent accusative case in the derivation.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)
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Ecuadorians in NYC: Language and Cultural Practices of a Community in the Diaspora
by
Christian Puma Ninacuri and Patricia Gubitosi
Languages 2024, 9(6), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060193 - 23 May 2024
Abstract
Given that Ecuadorians are one of the largest groups of Hispanics living in New York, they have become a tight community that they now call little Ecuador. Although Ecuadorians living in the diaspora in NYC come from different parts of the country (mostly
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Given that Ecuadorians are one of the largest groups of Hispanics living in New York, they have become a tight community that they now call little Ecuador. Although Ecuadorians living in the diaspora in NYC come from different parts of the country (mostly from the Andean region), they share the same cultural practices they performed in Ecuador that give them the sense of being in their country without bearing the instability and turmoil their country experiences. This shows how the group has fostered a sense of a multifaceted, multidimensional simultaneity between the host country and the motherland. The goal of this paper is to analyze the strategies Ecuadorian migrants use to validate their language and cultural practices to negotiate their identity as a group. Data for this paper come from ethnographic observations, semi-spontaneous conversations, oral interviews with members of the group, along with pictures taken while walking the community and participating in some of their events. Our study reveals that participants hold varying perceptions regarding their linguistic and cultural practices. However, it is noteworthy that they recognize these practices as a manifestation of Ecuadorianness, signifying a sense of solidarity among community members.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spanish in the US: A Sociolinguistic Approach)
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Racialized Sociolinguistic Processes in the Spanish Learning Journeys of Non-Latinxs in the U.S.
by
Jazmine Exford
Languages 2024, 9(6), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060192 - 23 May 2024
Abstract
Sociolinguistic frameworks of race have not been widely applied to non-Latinx Spanish learners in the United States. Consequently, there is limited insight into the impact of race on different learners’ use of Spanish in their communities, including the local or national raciolinguistic dynamics
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Sociolinguistic frameworks of race have not been widely applied to non-Latinx Spanish learners in the United States. Consequently, there is limited insight into the impact of race on different learners’ use of Spanish in their communities, including the local or national raciolinguistic dynamics between Latinxs and non-Latinxs that inform these outcomes. This article examines ethnographic interviews of women recounting interactions and experiences of using Spanish in different U.S. contexts. In their accounts, I identify three racialized sociolinguistic processes central to their Spanish learning journeys, which I title racialized positionality, racialized embodiment, and indexical fields of racialization. These processes highlight, respectively, (1) the raciolinguistic dynamics enacted by Spanish language usage in the U.S. by non-Latinxs, (2) the sociolinguistic input a learner comes across as raciogendered subjects, and (3) the social meaning they ascribe to racialized terms and discourses in Spanish. As critical approaches to Spanish language learning and pedagogy continue to emerge, more research is warranted on these three processes to trace the impact of race on Spanish language learning and use.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spanish in the US: A Sociolinguistic Approach)
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May the Force Be with You... Gesturality of the Barcelonians Associated with Mockery, Insult and Protection
by
Mar Forment and Cristina Illamola
Languages 2024, 9(6), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060191 - 23 May 2024
Abstract
The aim of the article is to inventory gestures related to mockery, insult, attracting good luck, or warding off bad luck that a group of informants from Barcelona have performed. The data come from the application of the survey from the Atlas de
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The aim of the article is to inventory gestures related to mockery, insult, attracting good luck, or warding off bad luck that a group of informants from Barcelona have performed. The data come from the application of the survey from the Atlas de Gestos, whose task is to collect gestures from the Pan-Hispanic context to describe the gestural repertoire of each territory and conduct comparative studies. The results, interpreted based on social factors (gender, age, and level of instruction), confirm the wide range of gestures for different functions (10 for mockery, 11 for insult and attracting good luck, and 9 for warding off bad luck). Regarding differences based on social variables, the results allow for indicating trends, namely, while the most used gesture to express mockery is sticking out the tongue, young people prefer the gesture of pointing and laughing, and informants over 55 years old only prefer laughing. Concerning insults, the use of peineta is widespread, although differences in behavior between men and women are observed. As for attracting good luck, Barcelona informants opt for crossing fingers, although older generations use gestures with more religious connotations, such as clasping hands. Finally, to ward off bad luck, Barcelona locals mention the gesture of crossing made with the index fingers of each hand.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Non-Verbal Communication in the 21st Century)
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Thirty Years on: A Bibliometric Analysis of L2 Vocabulary Research Published in 2020
by
Paul Meara
Languages 2024, 9(6), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060190 - 22 May 2024
Abstract
This paper presents an author co-citation analysis of the research on L2 vocabulary acquisition that was published in the 2020 calendar year. The most significant influence at this time is Paul Nation—cited in 85% of the publication set—but a number of other important
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This paper presents an author co-citation analysis of the research on L2 vocabulary acquisition that was published in the 2020 calendar year. The most significant influence at this time is Paul Nation—cited in 85% of the publication set—but a number of other important influences can also be identified, notably, Laufer, Hulstijn, Schmitt and Webb. This paper draws some comparisons with data from 1990, and speculates on how “research fronts” might be identified in an author co-citation data set.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vocabulary Studies in L1 and L2 Development: The Interface between Theory and Practice)
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European Portuguese lá: Use-Conditional Meaning and Pragmaticalization
by
Lukas Müller
Languages 2024, 9(6), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060189 - 21 May 2024
Abstract
This study focusses on non-adverbial uses of lá in European Portuguese, whose exact meaning contribution still remains an open research question. Applying a multidimensional semantics framework, the central claim is that non-adverbial uses of lá represent use-conditional items. Passing the standard tests suggested
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This study focusses on non-adverbial uses of lá in European Portuguese, whose exact meaning contribution still remains an open research question. Applying a multidimensional semantics framework, the central claim is that non-adverbial uses of lá represent use-conditional items. Passing the standard tests suggested in the literature, they thus do not contribute to the truth conditions of an utterance but specify particular use conditions. It is argued that they are felicitously used if a speaker wants to convey illocutionary modification, which pragmatically leads to mitigation or reinforcement effects. Diachronically, substantiated by historical data from the Corpus do Português, use-conditional lá is argued to be a product of a pragmaticalization process that led to so-called pragmatic fission at some point, i.e., to the polysemy of two synchronically available configurations of a truth-conditional and a use-conditional lá.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Investigating Language Variation and Change in Portuguese)
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The Representation of People in the Ibibio Anthroponymic System: A Socio-Onomastic Investigation
by
Eyo Mensah, Kirsty Rowan and Mfon Ekpe
Languages 2024, 9(6), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060188 - 21 May 2024
Abstract
In the African cultural context and beyond, personal names are not just unique forms of identifying and individuating their bearers; they also provide relevant windows that resonate with the people’s worldviews, values, and cosmology. From a socio-onomastic perspective, this article examines the representation
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In the African cultural context and beyond, personal names are not just unique forms of identifying and individuating their bearers; they also provide relevant windows that resonate with the people’s worldviews, values, and cosmology. From a socio-onomastic perspective, this article examines the representation of people and their description in the Ibibio cultural namescape, which is a source of their traditional epistemology. Personal names are symbolic linguistic resources that contain information about the Ibibio universe of meaning, where people are placed at the centre of every social relationship. Drawing on ethnographic data sourced through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 30 participants who were name-givers, name-bearers and name-users, this study reveals that the Ibibio naming tradition provides a medium for the dissemination of its traditional cultural scripts, which capture community solidarity, support, security and a sense of belonging. This article concludes that the Ibibio anthroponymic culture reflects people as sources of empowerment. People provide the foundation for understanding the past and a path for reaching one’s life goals. This study offers significant entry points into the way the Ibibio act and react to the strength of its community and reinforces the belief that for the Ibibio, people-related regime of names is an important resource used to foster a positive sense of community and well-being.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Personal Names and Naming in Africa)
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Language Ideologies and Linguistic Practices of Transgenerational Return Migrants in Galicia
by
Nicola Bermingham and Carme Silva-Domínguez
Languages 2024, 9(6), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060187 - 21 May 2024
Abstract
This article explores transgenerational return migration to Galicia, Spain, focusing on participants of the Scholarships for Outstanding Youth Abroad (BEME) programme. It examines how descendants of Galician emigrants, primarily grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Galician emigrants to Latin America, engage with the Spanish and
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This article explores transgenerational return migration to Galicia, Spain, focusing on participants of the Scholarships for Outstanding Youth Abroad (BEME) programme. It examines how descendants of Galician emigrants, primarily grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Galician emigrants to Latin America, engage with the Spanish and Galician languages. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 30 participants, the article explores participants’ language ideologies regarding Galician as a minoritised language and Spanish as a global language. This article highlights the role of language as a symbolic resource in transgenerational return migration, offering a sociolinguistic perspective to the understanding of this migration phenomenon.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Galician Linguistics)
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Dialect Recognition via Lexical Processing: Is It a Viable Litmus Test?
by
Tekabe Legesse Feleke
Languages 2024, 9(6), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060186 - 21 May 2024
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For decades, linguists have been working to formulate an objective means of distinguishing dialects from languages, but dialect recognition has largely remained a subjective enterprise. Only recently have some studies proposed a processing-based psycholinguistic approach toward dialect recognition. These studies argued that dialect
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For decades, linguists have been working to formulate an objective means of distinguishing dialects from languages, but dialect recognition has largely remained a subjective enterprise. Only recently have some studies proposed a processing-based psycholinguistic approach toward dialect recognition. These studies argued that dialect words are stored as a co-dependent representation, not as an independent representation of the words of bilingual speakers. Based on these studies, we investigated the lexical selection and processing mechanisms of bilingual and bidialectal speakers of two understudied languages, Oromo and Amharic, using the picture–word interference paradigm. We found independent lexical representations for both the bilingual and the bidialectal groups, which implies the involvement of the same cognitive mechanisms in both language and dialect processing. Thus, we argue that bidialectal speakers have flexible lexical representation and selection mechanisms that are dependent on the speakers’ previous language experience. Here, we propose a dynamic lexical selection model that accommodates diverse dialect ecologies.
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Arabic Compound Numerals: New Insights on Case, Agreement, and Quantification
by
Hussein Al-Bataineh
Languages 2024, 9(5), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9050185 - 20 May 2024
Abstract
This paper examines the syntax of additive compound numerals in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), uncovering their unique properties related to number morphology, definiteness, and Case assignment within numeral–noun constructions. These properties necessitate a constituency analysis which reveals that compound numerals have the structure
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This paper examines the syntax of additive compound numerals in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), uncovering their unique properties related to number morphology, definiteness, and Case assignment within numeral–noun constructions. These properties necessitate a constituency analysis which reveals that compound numerals have the structure of copulative compounds in MSA, and they are phrases, not functional heads. Drawing on the distinction between inherent, lexical, and structural Cases, this paper posits that the accusative Case on the numerals is an inherent Case, inaccessible to syntactic transformations. Furthermore, the analysis of numeral–noun constructions as numerically quantified phrases (NQPs) explains the assignment of a structural accusative Case or the inherent genitive Case on the quantified noun, based on the overtness of NQ0. Finally, the paper addresses the intriguing question of how NQPs in MSA, despite lacking a nominative Case, can assume the subject position and govern agreement in both verbal and verbless sentences.
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The Subtitling of Swearing: A Pilot Reception Study
by
Willian Moura
Languages 2024, 9(5), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9050184 - 17 May 2024
Abstract
Reception studies in audiovisual translation seek to explore how translation choices affect the audience’s comprehension, emotional engagement, enjoyment, and overall viewing experience of audiovisual materials. This study focuses on the subtitling product and analyzes the acceptability of swear words translated through different stimuli:
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Reception studies in audiovisual translation seek to explore how translation choices affect the audience’s comprehension, emotional engagement, enjoyment, and overall viewing experience of audiovisual materials. This study focuses on the subtitling product and analyzes the acceptability of swear words translated through different stimuli: subtitles with softened, maintained, and intensified swearing, along with standard Netflix subtitles (control). Employing a multi-method approach, the study collected data through a survey, using questionnaires with a Likert scale and interviews, following the user-centered translation model to understand how participants receive and perceive swear words in subtitling. The results indicate that the control group had the highest acceptability of the participants, while the group with softened swear words presented the lowest acceptability rate. The analysis shows that participants across all groups reported that discomfort does not arise from reading the swear word in the subtitle but from perceiving a deliberate change in its offensive load—usually softened. The findings demonstrate that this change can lead to a breach of the contract of illusion in subtitling, as participants are exposed to the original dialogue and the translated subtitle simultaneously. In conclusion, when perceived, the change in the offensive load can redirect the viewer’s focus from the video to the subtitles, negatively affecting the enjoyment of the audiovisual experience.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Studies in the Language of Taboos)
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The Syntax of Speech Acts: Deictic Inversion as an Evidential Strategy in English
by
Ana Ojea
Languages 2024, 9(5), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9050183 - 17 May 2024
Abstract
This paper presents empirical evidence to support the so-called syntactization of discourse, that is, the projection of relevant pragmatic features in the narrow syntax. In particular, it analyses deictic inversion in English, a construction which is used by the speaker to point at
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This paper presents empirical evidence to support the so-called syntactization of discourse, that is, the projection of relevant pragmatic features in the narrow syntax. In particular, it analyses deictic inversion in English, a construction which is used by the speaker to point at a proximal or distal location and bring the addressee’s attention to an entity related to that location (e.g., Here comes the bus). It offers a novel account of this construction, which takes it to be an evidential strategy in a language that does not have standard evidential markers; this evidential status explains its main differences with locative inversion, a construction with which it is pragmatically and structurally related. Deictic inversion therefore receives a natural explanation in a framework that maps syntax with the speech act and introduces in the derivation pragmatic information about the participants in the communicative exchange and about the source of the information for the proposition asserted.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Syntax and Discourse at the Crossroads)
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The Holistic Advantage: Unified Quantitative Modeling for Less-Biased, In-Depth Insights into (Socio)Linguistic Variation
by
Wilkinson Daniel Wong Gonzales
Languages 2024, 9(5), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9050182 - 16 May 2024
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What happens when recognized and diverse conditioning factors of linguistic variation are omitted from analysis and/or are not analyzed under a single analytical procedure? This paper explores the consequences of such a choice on data interpretation and, consequently, (socio)linguistic theorization. Utilizing Twitter-style English
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What happens when recognized and diverse conditioning factors of linguistic variation are omitted from analysis and/or are not analyzed under a single analytical procedure? This paper explores the consequences of such a choice on data interpretation and, consequently, (socio)linguistic theorization. Utilizing Twitter-style English in the Philippines (EngPH) as a case study, I employ the Twitter Corpus of Philippine Englishes (TCOPE) primarily to investigate and elucidate variations in three morphosyntactic variables that have been previously examined using a piecemeal approach. I propose a holistic quantitative approach that incorporates documented linguistic, social, diachronic, and stylistic factors in a unified analysis. The paper illustrates the impacts of adopting this holistic approach through two statistical procedures: Bayesian regression modeling and Boruta feature selection with random forest modeling. In contrast to earlier research findings, my overall results reveal biases in non-unified quantitative analyses, where the confidence in the effects of certain factors diminishes in light of others during analysis. The adoption of a unified analysis or modeling also enhances the resolution at which variations have been examined in EngPH. For instance, it highlights that presumed ‘universals’, such as the hierarchy of linguistic > stylistic > diachronic > social factors in explaining variation in some domains, is contingent on the specific variable under examination. Overall, I argue that unified analyses reduce data distortion and introduce more nuanced interpretations and insights that are critical for establishing a well-grounded empirical theory of EngPH variation and language variation as a whole.
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The Contrastive and Referential Function of Specific Classifiers in Xiamen Southern Min—Evidence from a Cognitive Experimental Study
by
Qi Huang and Walter Bisang
Languages 2024, 9(5), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9050181 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Southern Min is generally known for not using classifiers [CL] for expressing definiteness/indefiniteness as it is associated with the bare classifier construction [CL N]. This paper offers evidence from Xiamen Southern Min (XSM) that the use of a specific classifier vs. the general
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Southern Min is generally known for not using classifiers [CL] for expressing definiteness/indefiniteness as it is associated with the bare classifier construction [CL N]. This paper offers evidence from Xiamen Southern Min (XSM) that the use of a specific classifier vs. the general classifier é contributes to referentiality in an alternative way by supporting object identification as it is due to the semantic specificity present in specific classifiers and absent in the general classifier. In a dialogic cognitive experiment adapted from the “Hidden color-chips” task (Enfield and Bohnemeyer 2001), 18 participants had to manipulate their addressees’ attention toward various objects situated in their immediate physical space through language as well as deictic gestures. The objects were associated with different specific classifiers or with the general classifier, and they were arranged according to the factors of (a) distance from speaker, (b) visibility for speaker, and (c) uniqueness (adjacency of similar items). The results show, among other things, that there is a higher tendency to use the specific CL in the [demonstrative CL N] construction if adjacent similar objects [−unique] are too far away from the speaker for clear identification by a demonstrative or a pointing gesture. This is seen as a last-resort strategy for creating contrast. Further corroboration comes from the use of specific classifiers in later mentions after the general CL failed to achieve clear identification. These findings can be situated in the broader context of other languages with classifiers in contrastive function (Thai, Vietnamese, and Ponapean) and they show the relevance of using dialogic texts for modeling classifier selection in contrast to narrative texts. Finally, dialogic contexts may serve as bridging contexts for grammaticalization from numeral classifiers to definiteness markers.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Typology of Chinese Languages: One Name, Many Languages)
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Thrivers and Survivors during Study Abroad: The Individual Cases of Japanese Learners of English
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Nicola Halenko and Maria Economidou-Kogetsidis
Languages 2024, 9(5), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9050180 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Whilst study abroad (SA) periods hold much promise for foreign language development, increasing research suggests sojourners’ experiences are unique, and language development does not always follow a linear trajectory. For some learners, SA has little impact on their language performance despite the affordances
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Whilst study abroad (SA) periods hold much promise for foreign language development, increasing research suggests sojourners’ experiences are unique, and language development does not always follow a linear trajectory. For some learners, SA has little impact on their language performance despite the affordances of L2 immersion (the Survivors). Other learners maximise the potential of SA, and this has a positive impact on their language development (the Thrivers). This paper examines the selected cases of four Japanese learners of English and their request language performance during a 10-month SA in the UK. Changes in pragmatic knowledge (based on appropriateness ratings) were documented at three equidistant time points. Language contact profile data also provided quantitative insights into the learners’ extracurricular language use and qualitative personal reflections. The selected cases illustrate two learners surviving the SA experience, showing minimal change in their request performance. The other two learners thrived during SA, showing accelerated performance in terms of lexical variation at the production level. This paper reports on the case histories of these learners to better understand these unique experiences and pragmatic discrepancies. Suggestions for how learners might be more pragmatically successful during SA are also offered.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Individual Differences in Second Language (L2) Pragmatics in Study Abroad Contexts)
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