here - Linguistic Society of America

Stanley Dubinsky (University of South Carolina) Session 17Anna V. Mikhaylova (University of Oregon)Mila Tasseva-Kurktchieva (University of South Carolina)Telicity and the structure of VP objects in Slavic and EnglishWhereas definiteness/quantificational properties of object NPs can determine VP telicity in English (Dowty 1979, Krifka 1992,Verkuyl 1993), VP telicity in Slavic (e.g. Russian/Bulgarian) is established through verbal affixes. Contra Slabakova 2001 andNossalik 2009, we show that this difference is not attributable to distinct VP/aspectual structure. Rather, it is due to differences inthe structure of the relevant nominal phrases: English DP objects have a quantificational feature high enough to check telicity inAspP (aspect phrase), but the quantificational features of Slavic objects are typically modifiers of NP and blocked from checkingtelicity in AspP.Philip Duncan (University of Kansas) Session 100Harold Torrence (University of Kansas)Sentential negation in Cocuilotlatzala MixtecWe describe the morpho-syntax of several sentential negation strategies in Cocuilotlatzala Mixtec (CM), a lowland Mixtec varietyspoken in Guerrero, Mexico. Overall, the form and position of negation in CM varies according to tense, clause type, andpredicate type (verbal versus non-verbal). In addition, we show that CM employs both tonal and segmental means to marknegation.David Durian (College of Dupage) Session 57On the inception and development of the Canadian Shift in the Midland: some real and apparent time observationsIn this paper, we trace the development of the Canadian Shift in the US Midland back to its inception, using a mix of both realand apparent time data collected in the Columbus, OH. We do so via statistical analysis of instrumentally recorded normalizedformat data collected across 4 generations of speakers. A total of 62 speakers, born between 1896 and 1991, comprise this dataset. Our analysis is presented as a series of linear mixed effects regression (lmer) analyses that allow us to watch the CanadianShift develop and unfold in real and apparent time in our data.Arienne M Dwyer (University of Kansas) Session 41Gülnar Eziz (University of Kansas)Travis Major (University of Kansas)The development of complex predication in Turkic: Uyghur light verbsLight verbs (LVs) modulate the meaning of a main verb and differ from other complex predicates in quantity, semantic range, andstructural properties. V-LV sequences are unusually elaborated in Uyghur. This paper provides syntactic, prosodic, and semanticevidence for LVs as a verb class distinct from lexical verbs and auxiliaries, and argues that LVs can be diachronically unstable.Using a recently-developed diachronic annotated Uyghur corpus, this paper evaluates the development of monoclausal Uyghur V-LV sequences in three time periods. This paper provides ontological evidence for complex predicate development, and supportsthe notion of LVhood, yet suggests modification of diachronic criteria.Maeve Eberhardt (University of Vermont) Session 54Intraspeaker variation, stancetaking, and post-vocalic /r/ on “Say Yes to the Dress”In sociolinguistic research, explanations of intraspeaker variation vary widely. I test the hypothesis that intraspeaker variation isrooted in interactional stancetaking by examining post-vocalic /r/ among 5 bridal consultants on the reality “docusoap” Say Yes tothe Dress, which focuses on wedding gown sales in a NYC bridal salon. Previous work shows that consultants’ use of postvocalic/r/ correlates with the bride’s dress budget. Qualitative analyses suggest speaker choices are connected to stances taken atthe moment of speaking. The current paper tests this quantitatively, tracking consultants’ use of /r/, to see if this variationcorrelates with specific stance moves.Grant Eckstein (University of California, Davis) Session 53Dan Villarreal (University of California, Davis)LDS scripture-speech: religious practice and sociophonetic variationThis study responds to the relative lack of sociolinguistic research using religion as a social factor. In particular, we investigate areligion-specific prosodic observation by describing and examining LDS scripture-speech, a unique speech genre associated with149