[Jenling] JenLing-Kolloq May 18., 18-20: Mattis List on "Productive Signs..."

[Pia Bergmann]

Dear Jena Linguists,

we cordially invite you to the JenLing-Kolloquium on Wednesday, May 18  
from 18-20 h (c.t.).

Mattis List (MPI Leipzig) will give a talk on:
"Productive Signs. A Computer-Assisted Analysis of Evolutionary,  
Typological, and Cognitive Dimensions of Word Families"

Abstract
All human languages have simple and complex words. Simple words refer  
to meanings regardless of their form, while complex words are formed  
from other words, and their formation can be semantically motivated.  
Since words can share lexical material, we can group them into  
families. Word families can vary greatly in size, ranging from small  
ones – comprising only a few members –, to large ones – spanning  
several hundred words –, but it is still unclear why some words are  
more productive than others in forming new words. Lexical  
compositionality has received some attention in historical  
linguistics, linguistic typology, and cognitive linguistics, but so  
far studies have mostly concentrated on the morphological complexity  
of individual words and languages, while the fact that words form  
families which interact during language change and language use has  
been typically ignored. The ProduSemy project will try to tackle key  
questions on the evolution, distribution, and psychology of word  
families by unifying evolutionary, typological, and cognitive insights  
into lexical compositionality, using a computer-assisted framework. In  
the talk, major questions the project aims to tackle will be presented  
and the research strategy will be discussed in detail.

The talk will take place in the 'Seminarraum' in Fürstengraben 30, 1st floor.

You can also join us online via Zoom:
Thema: JenLing-Kolloqium

Zoom-Meeting beitreten
https://uni-jena-de.zoom.us/j/64261356249

Meeting-ID: 642 6135 6249
Kenncode: 058613

Best wishes
Pia (Bergmann)


-- 
Professor Dr. Pia Bergmann
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Institut für Germanistische Sprachwissenschaft
Fürstengraben 30
07743 Jena
Tel.: 03641-944314
Büro: EG, R 004