BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Morphological complexity in Skolt Saami\, an endangered Finno-Ugri
 c language - Tim Feist\, University of Surrey
DTSTART:20160427T161500Z
DTEND:20160427T180000Z
UID:TALK65902@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Hanna Danbolt Ajer
DESCRIPTION:Skolt Saami\, a severely endangered Finno-Ugric language spoke
 n in the far northeast of Finland\, is noteworthy for its complex phonolog
 y and morphology\, and the interaction between the two. Its phonology exhi
 bits contrastive vowel length\, consonant gradation\, vowel height alterna
 tions\, suprasegmental palatalisation and a three-way distinction in phono
 logical quantity. On the morphological level\, nouns and verbs fall into d
 istinct inflectional classes. Nouns inflect for number and nine grammatica
 l cases – and in addition may optionally inflect to mark possession – 
 while verbs inflect for person\, number\, tense and mood.\n\nFollowing a b
 rief overview of the most interesting aspects of Skolt Saami phonology and
  morphophonology\, I will give a detailed account of the inflectional syst
 em\, focusing on the complex array of stem alternations which are brought 
 about by the aforementioned morphophonological processes. Historically\, t
 hese sound changes were motivated by a number of factors – e.g. grade al
 ternations\, unstressed vowel contractions and second-syllable vowel alter
 nations – which were usually due to the phonological properties of the s
 uffixed morphemes. However\, diachronic changes in Skolt Saami\, such as t
 he loss of word-final consonants\, have removed the conditioning environme
 nts and rendered many of these sound changes opaque. Synchronically\, then
 \, these sound changes may be treated as being morphologically conditioned
 .\n\nIn understanding Skolt Saami inflection\, it is helpful to think of t
 he inflectional stems as arising from the combination of several simpler p
 rocesses which converge to produce an incredibly fragmented paradigm. For 
 example\, a three-way split in stem gradation may combine not only with a 
 split in vowel quality but also with a split in the presence of palatalisa
 tion to give rise to seven unique stems.\n\nFinally\, I will touch upon tw
 o interesting aspects of Skolt Saami syntax\, namely negation and the diff
 erent uses of case marking\, before ending with a look at a short Skolt Sa
 ami narrative.\n\nDr Tim Feist is a member of the Surrey Morphology Group\
 , and is currently investigating how gender and classifiers aid the tracki
 ng of referents throughout discourse. He has a predilection for complex mo
 rphology\, and has previously worked on the intricate system of inflection
 al classes in Oto-Manguean\, a Native American language family. For his Ph
 D at the University of Manchester\, he developed a grammar for Skolt Saami
 .
LOCATION:Faculty of English\, Room GR-04
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR