JL now on JSTOR!

Joining LI, NLLT, Language, and others on JSTOR is now the Journal of Linguistics, which we have access to all the way back to 1965, including the (much later) glory years under the editorship of colleague Nigel Vincent.  Check it out here.

4th European Workshop on Australian Languages

The 4th European Workshop on Australian Aboriginal languages is being hosted by our department on Friday 12 December and Saturday 13 December in Samuel Alexander Room A102.  Eva Schultze-Berndt, the organizer, notes that “all are welcome to attend; there is no fee or need to register.  However, please let me know by email no later than Mo 8 Dec if you would like to join the dinner on Friday night and/or the lunch on Saturday.”  The program, which looks very exciting, along with abstracts for all the talks can be downloaded here.

Denison awarded endowed chair

Colleague David Denison, previously Professor of English Linguistics, has been awarded the Smith Professorship in English Language and Medieval Literature.  The Smith Chair was previously held by our late colleague Richard Hogg and by G.L. Brook before that and must be very comfortable indeed, since each of them “sat” in it for more than thirty years.  Congratulations, David!

Börjars in THES on book and journal ranking system

Colleague, LAGB president, and Head of School Kersti Börjars is quoted in an article in this week’s THES on a proposed book and journal ranking system.  She remarks:

The idea of having our book outputs judged indirectly through the commercial success of the publisher is a frightening one

Read the full article here.

Random fact: We are a well-hyphenated department

From time to time Manchet may find it appropriate to post random observations about our department.  Today’s observation:  Out of fourteen permanent members of staff, four have hyphenated last names: Ricardo Bermúdez-Otero, Andrew Koontz-Garboden, Eva Schultze-Berndt, and Nuria Yáñez-Bouza.  Manchet wonders if any other department in the English-speaking world matches our impressive rate of hyphenation.

UPDATE!:  In all of the nomenclatural hyphenation glee, Manchet overlooked our *double* hyphenated French department colleague Maj-Britt Mosegaard-Hansen!  Are there any readers that can provide us with a turkey?

Mosegaard Hansen in French Studies seminar

French department colleague Maj-Britt Mosegaard Hansen will present a paper in this Thursdays (27 Nov) French Research Seminar entitled `The grammaticalization of negative reinforcers in old and middle French.’  Her talk will be followed by another talk, on transcultural studies by her colleague Siobhan Brownlie. Full details, including abstracts, below the fold.

Postgraduate conference at Newcastle

Northern neighboors Newcastle are hosting a postgraduate linguistics conference.  Details from the Linguist List below the fold.

Emma Moore in tomorrow’s seminar

Tomorrow’s seminar features U of M PhD alumna and Sheffield lecturer, Emma Moore on `What counts as a sociolinguistic variable? Social meaning and the synergy of linguistic features.’  The talk will take place in the usual place (Alexander S.3.1) at the usual time (4pm to 5.15pm) and features the usual (but never dull!) drinks afterwards.

Sophie Guile in tomorrow’s language sandwidge

Via David D:

Our speaker tomorrow is our own Sophie Guile [U of M PhD student], with the title

‘English adnominal possessive constructions: an analysis of expositions & omissions
in 18th century precept texts’

Room S.1.5, 1-2pm, as usual.  All welcome.

Baranowski at College of Charleston

Just yesterday colleague Maciej Baranowski gave a guest lecture at the College of Charleston, in Charleston, South Carolina, where he has carried out a great deal of sociolinguistic fieldwork.  Details here.