This short report draws attention to an interesting kind of configuration in the lexicon that seems to have escaped theoretical or systematic descriptive attention. These configurations, which we dub SEMPLATES, consist of an abstract structure or template, which is recurrently instantiated in a number of lexical sets, typically of different form…

Traces history of Jewish languages and interlinguistics through non-Jewish languages with which Jews came into contact. Proposes a typology of Jewish language phenomena, formulates research tasks in comparative Jewish interlinguistics and assesses contribution of Jewish language study to general linguistics. (Author/BK)

Demonstrates that two Tungusic languages, Evenki and Oroqen, that have long been treated as a single language for classification purposes, are better treated as distinct linguistic varieties. Fundamental questions are raised about the current classification of Tungusic languages and a renewed examination is suggested of the role of dialect…

Outlines three features that render creoles synchronically distinguishable from other languages, all three clear results of a break in transmission followed by a development period too brief for the traits to be undone as they have been in older languages. Shows that an expanded data set reveals flaws in the socio-historical argumentation behind…

Revised version of a paper presented at the Caribbean Linguistics Conference, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, April 1971; research assisted by a grant from the Ford Foundation for the Dialect Survey of Guyana. (DD)

An introduction to the Russian phonemic system leads to a model classification of verb forms derived from the infinitive and present stems of selected verbs. Correspondences between the two sets of verb forms are listed. A brief history of attempts at verb classification concentrates on the theory of Meyer, Berneker, and Bloomfield. A complete…

Investigation of data from many languages has the following results: (1) the characteristics of classifier languages are distinguished, and four types identified; (2) defining criteria are postulated for classifiers, and it is discovered that every classifier is composed of one or more out of seven categories of classification. (CHK)

Research on which portions of this study are based was performed under a National Science Foundation Grant and a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. (VM)

This study examines the theory of Prokosch concerning the Germanic-Slavic-Baltic tense and aspect systems. The interrelatedness and influence of languages and dialects in Slavic (Russian and Old Church Slavic), Baltic (Lithuanian), and Germanic (Old High German and Gothic) are demonstrated. Examples illustrating the use of the perfective present…