Mark Janse

Productivity and creativity : studies in general and descriptive linguistics in honor of E.M. Uhlenbeck

In tribute to E.M. Uhlenbeck, and reflecting Uhlenbecks dialectic conception of language and linguistics, this volume unites theory- and data-oriented studies, with a focus on structural-functional approaches. Among the languages studied, ranging from the Mediterranean to the Pacific, Javanese takes a prominent place. Questions of current theoretical interest include the relationship between meaning and form, language death, grammaticalization, and the very existence of Universal Grammar.

Changing gender systems: A multidisciplinary approach

This article addresses various issues in the diachrony of gender marking, such as the origin and typology of gender systems, pathways of change and the question of directionality in relation to the Agreement Hierarchy, and the semantic basis of changes in gender systems in relation to the Individuation Hierarchy. It also offers an overview of recent multidisciplinary approaches to the evolution of gender systems including language acquisition research, contact linguistics, and theoretical syntax.

The gnomic aorist in Hesiod

This article studies the use of the gnomic aorist, i.e., the aorist indicative, in omnitemporal statements, covering its origin, its synchronic semantic value in Ancient and Classical Greek, and the difference between this aorist and the present indicative in omnitemporal statements. Due to the lack of a proper form to express both omnitemporality and perfectivity, the (secondary) aorist indicative was used in Greek in cases where the speaker wanted to emphasize the (perfective) aspect of the relevant state of affairs. The existence of borderline cases is understandable if we take the so-called Prototype theory into account. The research is based on Hesiod, but most conclusions seem valid for other cases of the gnomic aorist also.

βλήμενος ἦν (Iliad 4.211) : lexical or periphrastic?

In this article, we consider whether the form Βλήμενος ἦν in Il. 4.211 should be considered lexical or periphrastic. Based on a discussion of the context, an analysis of the usage of the verb βάλλω elsewhere in the Iliad, and an application of some generally accepted criteria of periphrasticity, we conclude that both interpretations are in fact possible. We connect this to the diachronic development of periphrastic constructions, which, in an early stage of grammaticalization, are often ambiguous.

Variation and change in Ancient Greek tense, aspect and modality

In this collective volume, some of the leading experts in the field explore aspects of linguistic variation and change in one of the core areas of Ancient Greek grammar: tense, aspect, and modality.

Δηλώσω σοι γὰρ τὰς αὐτοῦ πράξεις (DAG1.13) / A note on the order of clitic pronouns and particles in the Grottaferrata Digenis Akritis

Abstract The Digenis Akritis is preserved in two important manuscripts: Escorial and Grottaferrata. Whereas the language of the former is traditionally considered vernacular or even vulgar, the scribe of the Grottaferrata manuscript is said to employ an archaizing style. The frequent occurrence of clitic particles like δέ, γάρ, μέν and οὖν is one of the more prominent archaizing features. In Ancient Greek, clitic particles and clitic pronouns tend to cluster together in second position in accordance with Wackernagel’s Law. In this note, we examine the various distributional patterns of clitic particles co-occurring with clitic pronouns in the Grottaferrata manuscript.We argue that despite the occurrence of some apparently classical clusterings, the distribution of clitic pronouns and particles is clearly governed by contemporary rules.

The works of E.M. Uhlenbeck (1913-2003): An annotated bibliography

Eugenius Marius Uhlenbeck – Bob as he was known to his friends – was a multifacited (or many-sided) and multi-talented person. He was an accomplished scholar in the fields of Javanese language and literature and in general linguistics holding the hairs in these disciplines at Leiden University from 1950-1983 and 1958-1979 respectively. In the Netherlands and abroad he was widely acclaimed as an elder ‘statesman’. His publications reflect his rare combination of talents. I will limit myself here to brief comments about his publications on linguistics, both general and Javanese linguistics.

E.M. Uhlenbeck (1913-2003) and the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV)

Eugenius Marius Uhlenbeck (1913-2003) needs no introduction to readers of this journal. Bob, as many knew him, was editor of the Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde from 1949 until 1958. He took up this task after he obtained his PhD for his dissertation on the structure of the Javanese morpheme, and remained as editor until he was appointed chair in general linguistics at Leiden University, where he also held the chair in Javanese language and literature from 1950 until 1983.2 During his lifetime, he contributed fourteen articles to the journal. Many of these have become classics in their fields, particularly his studies of various aspects of Modern Javanese morphology and his interpretation of several Old Javanese texts. In addition, he also published eleven reviews in the Bijdragen. Among these, his article on Zoetmulder’s study of language of the Adiparwa (1950) deserves special mention. In addition to his contributions to the Bijdragen, the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) published five important monographs written by him. This brings me to the focus of this paper: the relationship between Uhlenbeck and the KITLV.