Language processes, theory and description of language change, and building on the past

Abstract

This paper is a continuation of earlier work on the controversial genetic classification of Songhay as Nilo-Saharan (Nicolaï 2003), where I show that the results thus far (cf. Bender 1995, Ehret 2001) are unsatisfactory. This is attributable to the authors' models and methods, the assumptions these rest upon, the nature of the data, and a priori factors in research. I discuss theoretical hypotheses regarding the ways in which languages change, the methods and procedures used by scholars, and the ways in which empirical data are used. This leads me to ask the following questions at the outset: 1) Are we entitled to make explicit use of virtual or real multilingual/multidialectal factors as normal theoretical parameters in building models of language change and proposing long-distance relationships? (This would imply changes to the classical tree representations and facilitate the incorporation of areal and contact phenomena.) 2) Would it be helpful to postulate an anthropologically defined setting for the interaction of structural linguistic forms, basic c ognitive processes, and punctual input from historical contingencies, resulting in rearrangements of norms of use and formal structures? (This question is vital to the study of areal phenomena and situations lying beyond the theoretical constraints of the standard genetic model.) These questions are in line with others raised during the Symposium with regard to the relations between theories of language structure and theories of cognition, the degree of conscious motivation for processes of language change and grammaticalization, and adabtability in language change and functionalization. In answering them, I make a number of suggestions based on my overall views on the practice of comparative linguistics, the construction of theoretical frameworks, and my recent empirical results in Nilo-Saharan and Afroasiatic.

Multilingualism and Language Contact in West Africa: Towards a Holistic Perspective

“…The scarce existing studies on contact phenomena between individual languages (e.g. Beyer 2006Beyer , 2009Dombrowsky-Hahn 1999;Drolc 2005;Nicolaï 2005;Turay 1978) point to considerable structural parallelisms permeating all areas of grammar, as is to be expected in situations of intense and extended contact, but also suggest that the direction of contact-induced influence can be the opposite of sociolinguistic factors attested elsewhere or exhibit no clear directionality or straightforward correlation with social factors altogether. Deplorably, however, these data on linguistic interferences often cannot be meaningfully interpreted, since, in general, studies on multilingualism are not directly associated with the description and documentation of the languages in question.…”

“…To date, our understanding of the internal relationships within the major subgroups of Niger-Congo, as in the case of the Atlantic languages, and their position within the phylum, as in the case of Mande, is limited. The exact genetic affiliations of Dogon and Songhay, for instance, remain a matter of dispute, (Dimmendaal 2008;Nicolaï 2005). To give only one example, for Mande languages, recent classifications based on shared lexical innovations (Kastenholz 1996) and phonological characteristics (Schreiber 2008) come to partly conflicting conclusions, but there are huge gaps in the data due to the lack or paucity of descriptions.…”

Dinámica lingüística

“…Desde una perspectiva semejante,Nicolaï (2003) propone considerar tales repertorios como algo necesariamente no acabado y compartido por los hablantes. Retomando la terminología de Foucauld, indica que dichos repertorios habrán de ser "hojeados" y funcionarán como herramientas que muestran diversas estrategias aplicadas durante la interacción.…”

“…Dans une perspective proche,Nicolaï (2003) propose de considérer ces répertoires comme nécessairement non-finis et partagés par les locuteurs. En reprenant la terminologie de Foucauld, il indique que ces répertoires seront « feuilletés » et fonctionneront comme des outils montrant diverses stratégies mises en oeuvre dans l'interaction.…”