Sound Patterns of Arctic Languages

Dr. Hidetoshi Shiraishi

 

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. J. Nerbonne, Dr. T. de Graaf, Dr. D. G. Gilbers

Period of employment: 1 January 2002 - 1 January 2006

 

Download the dissertation from the University Library website.

 

Nivkh is a genetically isolated language spoken on the island of Sakhalin and in the Lower Amur region (the Russian Federation). The census of 1989 counts their population as 4,681 of whom only 23.3% regard Nivkh as their mother tongue. This rate is sufficiently low to regard the language as being in danger of disappearance.

This research project consists of two academic activities that will be carried out simultaneously:

1. A description of the phonology of Nivkh within the framework of Generative Phonology
2. Construction of a linguistic database of Nivkh

My study so far exhibits that Nivkh contains linguistic topics that are under a hot debate in the current generative school. This project will further develop discussions on these topics, which include: non-derived environment blocking of lenition, phonological opacity triggered by latent (floating) nasals, phonology-syntax interface of lenition, which is a P-structure rule in the sense of Selkirk 1986 (Shiraishi 2000), phonologically driven allomorphy of transitive verbs of Nivkh (forthcoming) and metrical transparency of pronominal clitics (2001).

In putting the discussion forward, I shall use evidence both from the literature and from data collected by myself during fieldwork. Considering the number of active speakers of Nivkh, we have to hasten ourselves to collect and preserve linguistic materials. Since August 2000, I have been working with the colleagues of the Sakhalin Museum of Regional Studies (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), which enabled me to set up fieldwork to Northern Sakhalin where most Nivkh's of the island are living. Since then I managed to record plenty of linguistic-ethnographic material including recitations of folktales, legends, songs, natural speech, etc. With the help of my local colleague G.D. Lok, we have already published part of this material (Shiraishi and Lok 2002). This publication contains Nivkh texts with translations in Russian and English. It also contains an audio-medium, which will help both researchers and all who want to learn the language by themselves. For my own purpose, a linguistic database set up in this way will provide important information in order to check various linguistic hypotheses. This database will be added to the existing Groningen database A guide to the Languages of Russia.

References:

Selkirk, E. (1986)

On derived Domains in Sentence Phonology. Phonology Yearbook 3: 371-405.

 

Shiraishi, H (2000)

Nivkh consonant alternation does not involve hardening. Proceedings of the 120th General Meeting of the Linguistic Society of Japan, 42-47.

 

... (2001)

Metrical evidence for cliticization in Nivkh pronouns. Proceedings of the 123rd General Meeting of the Linguistic Society of Japan, 224-229.

 

... (forthcoming)

Phonologically driven allomorphy of Nivkh transitive verbs -With implications for the nature of prefix i-. In Fubito Endo ed. Languages of the North Pacific Rim, Vol. 8.

 

Shiraishi, H. and G. Lok (2002)

 Sound Materials of the Nivkh Language 1 -Folktales recited by V.F.Akiljak-Ivanova-. Osaka: ELPR Publications Series A2-015.