Robert M. Vago

First language attrition

Part I. Survey Studies: 1. The study of first language attrition: an overview Herbert W. Seliger and Robert M. Vago 2. First language attrition and the parameter-setting model Michael Sharwood Smith and Paul Van Buren 3. Recapitulation, regression and language loss Kees de Bot and Bert Weltens 4. First language loss in bilingual and polyglot aphasics Loraine K. Obler and Nancy Mahecha 5. A cross-linguistic study of language contact and language attrition Julianne Maher Part II. Group Studies: 6. L1 loss in an L2-environment: Dutch immigrants in France Kees de Bot, Paul Gommans and Carola Rossing 7. The sociolinguistic and patholinguistic attrition of Breton phonology, morphology, and morphonology Wolfgang U. Dressler 8. Language attrition in Boumaa Fijian and Dyirbal Annette Schmit 9. Pennsylvania German: convergence and change as strategies of discourse Marion Lois Huffines 10. Lexical retrieval difficulties in adult language attrition Elite Olshtain and Margaret Barzilay 11. Spanish language attrition in a contact situation with English Carmen Silva-Corvalan Part III. Case Studies: 12. Morphological disintegration and reconstruction in first language attrition Dorit Kaufman and Mark Aronoff 13. Assessing first language vulnerability to attrition Evelyn Altenberg 14. Compensatory strategies of child first language attrition Donna Turian and Evelyn Altenberg 15. Language attrition, reduced redundancy and creativity Herbert W. Seliger 16. Paradigmatic regularity in first language attrition Robert M. Vago.

First language attrition: The study of first language attrition: an overview

Introduction The primary concern of the present text is the disintegration or attrition of the structure of a first language (L1) in contact situations with a second language (L2). Bilingualism, under which we include the more general case of multilingualism, is a natural setting for the unraveling of native language abilities; pathological states such as aphasia and senile dementia are further contexts for attrition effects. Attrition phenomena develop in bilingual individuals as well as bilingual societies, in both indigenous and immigrant communities. At its extreme, attrition leads to what has come to be known as “language death” (cf. Dorian 1981; Schmidt 1985). The articles brought together in this volume approach first language attrition from diverse angles. The survey studies in Part I draw general conclusions from empirical evidence presented in the literature, while the articles in Parts II and III discuss specific properties of L1 attrition based on the analysis of data they present. The group studies of Part II investigate attrition in societal bilingualism or in groups of bilingual individuals, while the case studies of Part III concentrate on single bilingual subjects, both children and adults. These works employ a wide range of data gathering methodologies: direct response requests such as untimed grammaticality judgement and fill-in tasks, translations, story telling prompted by pictures, paradigm elicitation, as well as free conversations (indirect). Attrition in bilingual aphasic individuals is discussed by de Bot & Weltens; Obler & Mahecha; and Dressler; in moribund languages by Schmidt and by Dressler.

The treatment of long vowels in word games

\/ ~~~~~~~~~~~I I a a a In the great majority of cases long segments are represented in terms of the many-to-one relation. The one-to-one representation seems to be required in certain cases, however: for some long vowels in Cuna (Sherzer 1970), Gokana (Hyman I982), and Latin (Steriade & Schein I984), and

Underspecification in the height harmony system of Pasiego

The recent phonological literature has witnessed the emergence of a significant body of research under the rubric of underspecification theory. This model of inquiry was first proposed by Kiparsky (I982), developed more deeply in Archangeli (i984), and is articulated most exhaustively in Archangeli & Pulleyblank (forthcoming a). One of the most basic assumptions advanced in these works is that for each contrastive feature one value is specified underlyingly and the other is inserted by default. Feature changing harmony, which requires both values to be underlying, is a particularly interesting challenge to this claim and appears to undermine its restrictiveness. Indeed, it figures prominently in some recent proposals, such as Steriade (i987b), to justify relaxing the theory and admit both feature values at the underlying level. Feature changing harmony is generally acknowledged to be extremely rare (cf. Lieber I987). Height harmony in the Pasiego dialect of Montanfes Spanish, as analysed by McCarthy (1984), is widely cited as one of the most solid pieces of evidence for the reality of feature changing harmony. The main purpose of this article is to demonstrate that Pasiego height harmony is in fact not feature changing. Rather, the facts provide additional support for the strongly constrained model of underspecification which recognises only one underlying feature value. In ? 2 I outline the basic facts and McCarthys feature changing analysis. In ?3 I account for the transparency of the low vowel /a/ in terms of the interaction of feature architecture and segmental underspecification. In ?4 I motivate the underspecification of the feature [high], thus obviating the feature changing property of height harmony. In ? 5 I argue that in general the feature [high] is floating in underlying structure. In ?6 I discuss the formalisms that first link and then spread the feature [high]. Finally, in ?7 I summarise the major findings and draw conclusions for phonological theory.

In Support of extrinsic ordering

i. Most versions of generative phonological theory contain a provision for restricting the ordering of rules in the grammar of individual languages.1 The use of language particular, or extrinsic, ordering statements has recently been challenged by Koutsoudas, Sanders & Noll (I974). These authors propose an alternative theory whose principal claim is that the ordering of rules follows from universal principles. Within this theory, which we may term the Unordered Rules Theory, a derivation proceeds as follows:

The Epistemic/Deontic Suffix -Hat/Het in Hungarian: Derivational or Inflectional?

In virtually all grammatical accounts of Hungarian, the suffix hat/het (e.g. tanul-hat ‘can learn (from)’, es-het ‘may fall’) is categorized as derivational. In an innovative article, Kenesei (1996) reexamines this conventional wisdom, and argues that based on the morpho-syntax of the language -hat/het should be considered an inflectional suffix. In this work I claim that morpho-phonological evidence suggests otherwise, and offer a reconciliation between the dual patterning of -hat/het: one based on morpho-syntax, the other based on morpho-phonology.

First language attrition: Acknowledgment

Part I. Survey Studies: 1. The study of first language attrition: an overview Herbert W. Seliger and Robert M. Vago 2. First language attrition and the parameter-setting model Michael Sharwood Smith and Paul Van Buren 3. Recapitulation, regression and language loss Kees de Bot and Bert Weltens 4. First language loss in bilingual and polyglot aphasics Loraine K. Obler and Nancy Mahecha 5. A cross-linguistic study of language contact and language attrition Julianne Maher Part II. Group Studies: 6. L1 loss in an L2-environment: Dutch immigrants in France Kees de Bot, Paul Gommans and Carola Rossing 7. The sociolinguistic and patholinguistic attrition of Breton phonology, morphology, and morphonology Wolfgang U. Dressler 8. Language attrition in Boumaa Fijian and Dyirbal Annette Schmit 9. Pennsylvania German: convergence and change as strategies of discourse Marion Lois Huffines 10. Lexical retrieval difficulties in adult language attrition Elite Olshtain and Margaret Barzilay 11. Spanish language attrition in a contact situation with English Carmen Silva-Corvalan Part III. Case Studies: 12. Morphological disintegration and reconstruction in first language attrition Dorit Kaufman and Mark Aronoff 13. Assessing first language vulnerability to attrition Evelyn Altenberg 14. Compensatory strategies of child first language attrition Donna Turian and Evelyn Altenberg 15. Language attrition, reduced redundancy and creativity Herbert W. Seliger 16. Paradigmatic regularity in first language attrition Robert M. Vago.

First language attrition: List of contributors

Part I. Survey Studies: 1. The study of first language attrition: an overview Herbert W. Seliger and Robert M. Vago 2. First language attrition and the parameter-setting model Michael Sharwood Smith and Paul Van Buren 3. Recapitulation, regression and language loss Kees de Bot and Bert Weltens 4. First language loss in bilingual and polyglot aphasics Loraine K. Obler and Nancy Mahecha 5. A cross-linguistic study of language contact and language attrition Julianne Maher Part II. Group Studies: 6. L1 loss in an L2-environment: Dutch immigrants in France Kees de Bot, Paul Gommans and Carola Rossing 7. The sociolinguistic and patholinguistic attrition of Breton phonology, morphology, and morphonology Wolfgang U. Dressler 8. Language attrition in Boumaa Fijian and Dyirbal Annette Schmit 9. Pennsylvania German: convergence and change as strategies of discourse Marion Lois Huffines 10. Lexical retrieval difficulties in adult language attrition Elite Olshtain and Margaret Barzilay 11. Spanish language attrition in a contact situation with English Carmen Silva-Corvalan Part III. Case Studies: 12. Morphological disintegration and reconstruction in first language attrition Dorit Kaufman and Mark Aronoff 13. Assessing first language vulnerability to attrition Evelyn Altenberg 14. Compensatory strategies of child first language attrition Donna Turian and Evelyn Altenberg 15. Language attrition, reduced redundancy and creativity Herbert W. Seliger 16. Paradigmatic regularity in first language attrition Robert M. Vago.

First language attrition: Contents

Part I. Survey Studies: 1. The study of first language attrition: an overview Herbert W. Seliger and Robert M. Vago 2. First language attrition and the parameter-setting model Michael Sharwood Smith and Paul Van Buren 3. Recapitulation, regression and language loss Kees de Bot and Bert Weltens 4. First language loss in bilingual and polyglot aphasics Loraine K. Obler and Nancy Mahecha 5. A cross-linguistic study of language contact and language attrition Julianne Maher Part II. Group Studies: 6. L1 loss in an L2-environment: Dutch immigrants in France Kees de Bot, Paul Gommans and Carola Rossing 7. The sociolinguistic and patholinguistic attrition of Breton phonology, morphology, and morphonology Wolfgang U. Dressler 8. Language attrition in Boumaa Fijian and Dyirbal Annette Schmit 9. Pennsylvania German: convergence and change as strategies of discourse Marion Lois Huffines 10. Lexical retrieval difficulties in adult language attrition Elite Olshtain and Margaret Barzilay 11. Spanish language attrition in a contact situation with English Carmen Silva-Corvalan Part III. Case Studies: 12. Morphological disintegration and reconstruction in first language attrition Dorit Kaufman and Mark Aronoff 13. Assessing first language vulnerability to attrition Evelyn Altenberg 14. Compensatory strategies of child first language attrition Donna Turian and Evelyn Altenberg 15. Language attrition, reduced redundancy and creativity Herbert W. Seliger 16. Paradigmatic regularity in first language attrition Robert M. Vago.

First language attrition: Survey studies

Part I. Survey Studies: 1. The study of first language attrition: an overview Herbert W. Seliger and Robert M. Vago 2. First language attrition and the parameter-setting model Michael Sharwood Smith and Paul Van Buren 3. Recapitulation, regression and language loss Kees de Bot and Bert Weltens 4. First language loss in bilingual and polyglot aphasics Loraine K. Obler and Nancy Mahecha 5. A cross-linguistic study of language contact and language attrition Julianne Maher Part II. Group Studies: 6. L1 loss in an L2-environment: Dutch immigrants in France Kees de Bot, Paul Gommans and Carola Rossing 7. The sociolinguistic and patholinguistic attrition of Breton phonology, morphology, and morphonology Wolfgang U. Dressler 8. Language attrition in Boumaa Fijian and Dyirbal Annette Schmit 9. Pennsylvania German: convergence and change as strategies of discourse Marion Lois Huffines 10. Lexical retrieval difficulties in adult language attrition Elite Olshtain and Margaret Barzilay 11. Spanish language attrition in a contact situation with English Carmen Silva-Corvalan Part III. Case Studies: 12. Morphological disintegration and reconstruction in first language attrition Dorit Kaufman and Mark Aronoff 13. Assessing first language vulnerability to attrition Evelyn Altenberg 14. Compensatory strategies of child first language attrition Donna Turian and Evelyn Altenberg 15. Language attrition, reduced redundancy and creativity Herbert W. Seliger 16. Paradigmatic regularity in first language attrition Robert M. Vago.