The glamour of grammar
Richard Hudson
@ Westminster School, January 2013
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Etymology
• A link between glamour and grammar?
• or between the words glamour and
grammar.
– a historical link
– so part of etymology
• the study of word origins
2
The evidence
3
What's gramarye?
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So what?
• Language is full of surprises.
• Language has its experts and facts.
• Language is all about connections.
– words connected to each other
– words connected to meanings and forms
• And that's why linguistics is fun
– including etymology
5
But hold on …
• How did r change to l 'by corruption'?
• Everything needs an explanation
– 'magic' won't do!
• How about:
– glance, glare, glass, glaze, gleam, glee, glimmer,
glimpse, glint, glisten, glitter,gloss, glow
– but also: gloomy, glum
• So maybe that's why r changed to l.
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So what?
• Meanings connect to sounds in different
ways.
– e.g. cat means 'cat'
– but also gl… means 'light', 'vision'
• Language is a window on culture and
thought.
– e.g. writing is magical
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Linguistics
• the study of language, including:
• language structure
– e.g. how sounds and meanings connect
• language and culture
– e.g. how cultural links extend meanings
• But linguistics is challenging.
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Hard grammar
I am
we are
I
you are
you are
you aren't
she/he/it is
they are
she/he/it
aren't?
amn't?
isn't
we aren't
you aren't
they aren't
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Why not I amn't?
• Everyone agrees that I amn't is wrong in
standard English
– though some dialects do allow I amn't.
•
•
•
•
But nobody knows why it's wrong.
Definitely not because schools ban it.
Nor do we learn simply by not hearing it.
Whatever the answer, it's psychological.
10
Different languages - different
manner of
messages
movement
direction of
movement
Translate into French (or Spanish):
He walked into the room:
• Not: Il a marché dans la chambre.
• But:
Il est entré dans la chambre (en marchant).
direction of
movement
manner of
movement
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So what?
• English puts manner into the verb
– direction is optional
• French puts direction into the verb
– manner is optional
• The language doesn't just code the message
– Different languages allow different messages.
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What about German?
Er ist in die Kammer hinein/herein gelaufen.
He is
into the room
hither/thither in run/walked.
• like English:
• manner in verb
– but basic contrast = with/without vehicle
• direction optional
– but basic contrast = from/to here
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So what?
• A language is a view of the world
– for communicating.
• Even familiar European languages differ
profoundly.
• Less familiar languages can differ even
more profoundly
– in the code
– but also in the message
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The challenge of analysis
• Welcome to UKLO
– the UK Linguistics Olympiad
• Meet our patron
– Christine Ohuruogu, MBE
– and BA (Linguistics)
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UKLO @ Westminster
honourable
mention
bronze
Winners from Westminster:
• 2010
– Round 2 and IOL: Younus Porteous, Carl Rietschel
• 2011
– Round 2 and IOL: Jessica Hao
– Round 2: Sacha Mehta
• 2012
– Round 2: Matthew Bannatyne, Theo Tindall
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A puzzle for Indiana Jones
uklo.org
17
Where is Cleopatra?
p
t
c
l
o
uklo.org
l
Ptolemy
e
e o pa
Cleopatra
t
r a
• Spot the pattern!
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Manam Island, Papua New
Guinea
uklo.org
The sentences below tell us where Onkau, Kulu,
Mombwa, Tola, Sulung, Sala, Pita and Butokang
live. Can you work out who lives where?
Tola
1.
2.
3.
5.
4.
Sulung
Sala
auta = North
ilau = South
DEAD END!
ata = West
awa = East
THINK AGAIN!
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What's up in Manam?
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Where's North in Manam?
Is the sun always
in the North?
Until recently, there
were
• no maps
• no compasses
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What are they like in Manam?
They're like us.
They enjoy a day
at the seaside.
And they don't
know where
North is.
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What's where in Manam Island?
uklo.org
New idea: When relating
two places, imagine
standing between them
facing uphill!
The sentences below tell us where Onkau, Kulu,
Mombwa, Tola, Sulung, Sala, Pita and Butokang
live. Can you work out who lives where?
Pita
8.
Butokang
6.
Sulung
4.
Tola
1.
7.
2.
5.
3.
4.
Sala
Sulung
auta = up
ilau = down
ata = left
awa = right
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So what?
• Different languages, different world views.
• Analysing language can be very hard.
– e.g. explaining *I amn't
– understanding the Manam system
• Don't take grammar for granted.
– If you read it, someone has discovered it…
• … or invented it!
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Truth and uncertainty in grammar
• As in any science, disagreements exist
– but they can be debated
– and eventually resolved.
• But language is complicated
– maybe the most complex pattern in the
universe?
– so don't expect easy answers.
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Some questions
•
•
•
•
How many words in John's tired?
… and in John's hat?
Why Him and me did it?
Why I've an idea but not I've a bath every
day?
• How many tenses in English?
• Do all languages have tense?
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and …
•
•
•
•
How do we learn grammar?
Can other animals learn grammar?
Is grammar inborn?
Why do different languages have different
grammars?
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Thanks
• and enjoy the glamour of grammar!
• These slides are stored at:
www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/talks.htm
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