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Nathan HillView profile

Professor

• Historical Linguistics
• Sino-Tibetan Languages
• Tibeto-Burman Comparative Linguistics
• +12 more

Nathan Hill is a Professor at Trinity College Dublin, holding the Sam Lam Professorship in Chinese Studies and serving as Director of the Trinity Centre for Asian Studies. He previously taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where he was Head of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and Director of the London Confucius Institute. Educational Background: Ph.D. in Linguistics, Harvard University, 2009 Nathan Hill specializes in Sino-Tibetan historical linguistics, with a focus on Tibetan, Burmese, and Chinese. His research spans Old Tibetan descriptive and corpus linguistics, Tibeto-Burman comparative linguistics, historical phonology, and the typology of evidential systems. He integrates computational methods with traditional philology to reconstruct ancestral languages and develop tools for endangered language communities. His recent work includes automated phonological reconstruction, NLP pipelines for Tibetan and Newar, and critical reassessments of Old Chinese reconstruction methodologies. His publications reveal consistent engagement with sound change, morphological evolution, and syntactic-pragmatic features across Sino-Tibetan languages. He frequently collaborates on interdisciplinary projects combining linguistic theory, digital humanities, and language technology. His recent articles highlight trends toward computational modeling, uncertainty quantification in reconstruction, and practical applications in text recognition and language processing for under-resourced languages. Scientific Awards: Li Fang-Kuei Society for Chinese Linguistics, Young Scholar (2018) Li Fang-Kuei Society for Chinese Linguistics, Young Scholar (2013) China Times Young Scholars Award (2008) Nathan Hill actively mentors doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, supervising work on language documentation, computational modeling, and historical analysis. He has led major research projects funded by the European Research Council, the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council, and the British Academy, securing over €11 million in funding. His projects have produced practical tools such as part-of-speech taggers, predictive keyboards for minority languages, and text recognition systems, with real-world impact recognized in the UK's Research Excellence Framework. He is involved in several research labs and collaborative teams, including those developing NLP tools for low-resource Sino-Tibetan languages, corpus creation initiatives, and computational reconstruction frameworks. His future work continues to bridge philological rigor with computational innovation, aiming to elevate the study of Sino-Tibetan languages to the level of classical Indo-European traditions.

• Computational Linguistics
• Theoretical Linguistics
• Natural Language Processing
• +3 more

Anca Dinu is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Bucharest, with a dual academic background in Computer Science (PhD, 2011) and Theoretical Linguistics (MSc, 2004). Her work bridges computational methods with linguistic analysis, focusing on Romanian language processing and Romance language comparisons. PhD in Computer Science (University of Bucharest, 2011) MSc in Theoretical Linguistics (Faculty of Foreign Languages, 2004) Bachelors in Mathematics and Computer Science (University of Bucharest, 2003) Bachelors in Electrical Engineering (Politechnica University, 2002) Her research spans computational linguistics, natural language processing, and historical linguistics. Key areas include collocation detection, stress assignment in Romanian, temporal text classification, and linguistic creativity assessment. She contributes to digital humanities through tools like CoToHiLi for historical linguistics. Recent publications examine large language models (LLMs) in creativity comparison with humans, automatic victim-blaming detection, and literary text analysis. Her work integrates formal semantics, syntax, and quantitative methods across 20 years of scholarly output.

Raina HeatonView profile

Associate Professor

• Language Documentation
• Morphosyntax
• Digital Archiving
• +7 more

Raina Heaton is an Associate Professor in Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma , with an additional role as Associate Curator of the Native American Languages Collection at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Her work focuses on endangered language documentation, revitalization, and morphosyntactic typology, particularly antipassive constructions and syntactic ergativity. She teaches courses in language documentation, revitalization methods, and Native American languages. Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa M.A. in Linguistics from Tulane University B.S. in Linguistics from Tulane University Her research spans several key areas: language documentation , digital archiving , Enlhet-Enenlhet languages , Mayan linguistics , language acquisition , and language endangerment . She leads collaborative projects including the Tunica Language Project and Enenlhet Documentation Project , with a focus on creating accessible digital resources and community engagement. Her recent publications analyze syntactic phenomena in Mayan languages, digital humanities methodologies for Native American literature, and language acquisition strategies. She has received significant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and institutional grants for these projects. Director of the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair (2018–present) Board member of OU Humanities Forum (2022–2024, 2025–2026) OU Presidential Professor (2024) She actively collaborates with tribes across Oklahoma, focusing on digital repatriation of archival materials and language stewardship . Her sabbatical (2024–2025) will further these goals through extended research and community engagement efforts.

Catherine TravisView profile

Professor

• Sociolinguistics
• Language Variation
• Bilingualism
• +3 more

Catherine Travis is a Professor of Modern European Languages at the Australian National University (ANU), affiliated with the School of Literature, Languages & Linguistics and The Migration Hub. She holds a BA/AS (Hons) from ANU and a PhD from La Trobe University. Her research focuses on sociolinguistic variation, bilingualism, and corpus linguistics, with notable projects such as the Sydney Speaks corpus and the Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA). Education: Bachelor of Asian Studies (First Class Honours in Linguistics and Japanese) – ANU PhD in Linguistics and Spanish – La Trobe University (2002) Research Interests: Catherine’s work explores how social and linguistic factors influence language variation and change. She employs variationist frameworks to study spontaneous speech in diverse communities, including regional Australian English, Spanish-English bilinguals in New Mexico, and migrant communities in Sydney. Her projects emphasize digital infrastructure for humanities research and ethical language data management. Grants & Projects: ARC-funded 'Voices of Regional Australia' (bushfire stories and dialect patterns) ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (Sydney Speaks project) ARDC-supported Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA) NSF-funded New Mexico Spanish-English codeswitching study Awards: Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities Labs & Teams: Catherine leads the Sydney Speaks initiative and collaborates with global networks in sociolinguistics and corpus development. She contributes to interdisciplinary projects addressing migration, language policy, and technological applications in humanities research.

Abraham Chin ChangView profile

Professor

• Applied Linguistics
• Second Language Acquisition
• Spanish Syntax and Semantics
• +3 more

Abraham Chin Chang is a Professor of English & Modern Languages at Taylor University, serving as Director of On-Campus International Programs, Korean Initiatives, and the Upland Sejong Institute. His academic roles include former Department Chair (2015–2020) and Director of the Korean Program. He holds a PhD in Romance Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin, an MA in Spanish Linguistics from Instituto Caro y Cuervo, and a BA from Korea University. His research focuses on applied linguistics, Spanish syntax, second language acquisition, and comparative language structures. Notable works include studies on vocabulary acquisition methods, language proficiency classification, and syntactic analysis of determiner phrases in Spanish, English, and Korean. Dr. Chang has received the Doctoral Dissertation Award (2004) and the Professional Development Award (2003). He has presented at conferences such as the Texas Linguistics Society and the Interdisciplinary Conference in the Humanities. His contributions extend to curriculum development and international educational initiatives, emphasizing globalized learning environments. He leads the Upland Sejong Institute and fosters international programs at Taylor University, integrating language education with cultural exchange. His teaching philosophy emphasizes mentorship, with students describing him as a mentor beyond traditional academia, fostering a supportive community through shared values and collaborative learning.

William LambView profile

Professor

• Scottish Gaelic Linguistics
• Traditional Narrative
• Ethnomusicology
• +4 more

William Lamb is Professor in Gaelic Ethnology and Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh's School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, with a joint affiliation to the Edinburgh Futures Institute. His academic journey includes a BA in Psychology from University of Maryland Baltimore County, MSc in Celtic Studies and PhD in Linguistics from University of Edinburgh, complemented by an MSc in Speech and Language Processing. Lamb's administrative roles encompass Departmental Director of Research, former Director of Learning and Teaching, and Acting Head of Department. Lamb's research examines three interconnected domains: Scottish Gaelic linguistics (focusing on dialectology and corpus linguistics), traditional narrative (particularly formulaic language in oral storytelling), and Gaelic music (especially the historical connections between vocal traditions and instrumental dance music). His methodological approach combines ethnographic fieldwork with computational techniques like NLP and dialectometry. His 15 most recent publications demonstrate a methodological evolution from traditional linguistic analysis toward computational approaches for Gaelic preservation. Early works focus on grammatical description and ethnographic documentation, while recent articles feature speech recognition systems, handwriting recognition for archival manuscripts, and cross-lingual text expansion techniques. Thematically, they cluster around language technology development (50%), morphological analysis (30%), and musicology (20%). Lamb leads significant research initiatives including 'Gaelic Speech Recognition for Media, Education and Research' (£225k, Scottish Government) and the AHRC/IRC project 'Decoding Hidden Heritages in Gaelic Traditional Narrative with Text-Mining and Phylogenetics' (£405k). His team collaborates with BBC, MG Alba, and Tobar an Dualchais to develop Gaelic transcription technologies. Knowledge exchange activities include Gaelic dance-song workshops and a CD recording project with Greentrax Recordings. He coordinates undergraduate courses including Scottish Studies, Traditional Narrative, and Gaelic Dialectology, and teaches postgraduate courses on traditional narrative and research methods. Lamb serves on external boards including Tobar an Dualchais, AHRC Peer Review College, and Faclair na Gàidhlig steering committee.

Walter BisangView profile

Professor

• Linguistic Typology
• Language Contact/Areal Typology
• Grammaticalization
• +8 more

**Walter Bisang** is a Full Professor of General and Comparative Linguistics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz since 1992. He holds memberships in the Academia Europaea (since 2016) and the Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz (since 2015). His research focuses on linguistic typology, grammaticalization, and cross-linguistic variation, with special attention to East Asian, Southeast Asian, and Caucasian languages. Bisang has directed major research initiatives, including the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 295) on 'Cultural and Linguistic Contacts' (1999–2008) and contributed to the PLATO project on language, cognition, and education. **Education**: PhD in General Linguistics, University of Zurich (1990); studies in Thai, Cambodian, and linguistics at SOAS, University of London (1986–1987). Earlier studies in linguistics, Chinese, and Georgian at the University of Zurich (1978–1986). **Research Interests**: Hidden complexity in grammar, grammaticalization processes, sociolinguistic factors in language change, and the interplay between language structure and cognitive processing. He has conducted fieldwork in Asia, Africa, and Europe, including visits at Zhejiang University, University of Hong Kong, and Chulalongkorn University. **Key Projects**: Editor-in-Chief of *Trends in Linguistics* (1996–2009), coordinator of the Research Center SOCUM (2009–2014), and advisor to over 30 PhD students annually through the Landesgraduiertenförderung (1996–2010). **Awards**: Recognized for contributions to linguistics through prestigious academic fellowships and editorial roles. His work bridges theoretical linguistics with interdisciplinary studies in education, neurolinguistics, and cognitive science.

Jan-Wouter ZwartView profile

Professor

• Syntax
• Linguistic Typology
• Morphology
• +3 more

Prof. Jan-Wouter Zwart is a Professor of Theoretical Linguistics at the Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen. His research focuses on syntax, linguistic typology, and morphological strength, with a particular emphasis on Germanic languages and cross-linguistic syntactic structures. He holds an office at the Harmony building (Room 1315.0401) and can be reached via c.j.w.zwart@rug.nl. Research Interests: - Syntax and its interface with morphology and semantics - Typological studies of alignment systems and verb positioning - Historical developments in Dutch and Afrikaans syntax - Formal syntactic theory and syntactic derivation mechanisms - Methodological approaches to linguistic analysis Recent work explores coordination structures, modal adverb placement, and rethinking alignment typology. His contributions appear in leading venues like the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics and Syntax-focused volumes. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, though his extensive publication record indicates academic recognition. He has no listed advisees or grants in the provided texts. His professional activities are centered at the University of Groningen without external roles.

• Comparative Linguistics
• Syntax
• Pragmatics
• +8 more

Professor Kristine Bentzen holds a position in Nordic Linguistics at UiT The Arctic University of Norway's Department of Language and Culture. Her affiliations include the AcqVA research group (Acquisition, Variation & Attrition) and involvement in projects like DASAGO (North Sami Child Language Acquisition). Her research focuses on comparative linguistics, syntax, pragmatics, and language revitalization, particularly in Sami languages. She has led projects funded by the Research Council of Norway and developed tools like the MacArthur-Bates CDI adapted to North Sami. Her work emphasizes multilingualism, child language acquisition, and the interplay between syntax and information structure. Recent studies investigate Sami language transmission across generations and the role of parental language input. She teaches Nordic linguistics, multilingualism, and Sami languages at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including speech therapy programs. Collaborations include projects on Arctic childhood development (SamBa) and North Germanic child language syntax. Key contributions include publications on object shift in Scandinavian languages, North Sami word order variation, and bilingualism in Sami families. Her involvement in the DASAGO project (2011–2017) established a corpus of North Sami-speaking children and explored grammatical phenomena in Indigenous languages. She is currently pursuing a master's in speech therapy, aiming to bridge linguistics and clinical practice. Professional activities include podcast appearances (e.g., NRK's Språksnakk) and advisory roles in language revitalization initiatives. Her research integrates theoretical syntax with sociolinguistic applications, addressing both academic and community-driven language preservation goals.

Hongming ZhangView profile

Professor

• Chinese Linguistics
• Syntax-Phonology Interface
• Prosodic Phonology
• +8 more

Hongming Zhang is a Professor of Chinese Linguistics and Head of the Chinese Language and Linguistics Program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he has been a faculty member since 1994. He also directs the UW-Tianjin Summer Chinese Program and holds editorial leadership roles in major journals and book series in Chinese linguistics. Ph.D., University of California at San Diego, Linguistics (1992) M.A., University of California at San Diego, Linguistics (1990) M.A., Fudan University, Chinese Linguistics (1984) B.A., Fudan University, Chinese Language (1981) His research focuses on the syntax-phonology interface, prosodic phonology, poetic prosody, and the history of the Chinese language. He has made significant contributions to the understanding of tone sandhi, tonal representation in dialects, and the linguistic structure of classical Chinese poetry. His work bridges theoretical linguistics and literary analysis, particularly in the context of historical and dialectal variation. The most recent articles highlight a strong trend in prosodic studies across Chinese dialects, historical phonology, and the linguistic analysis of classical poetry. His publications consistently emphasize empirical data from understudied dialects and integrate formal linguistic theory with philological insights. Vilas Associate Award (UW-Madison, 2003–05) Chiang Ching Kuo Research Grants (1997–99, 2005–06) Chern Shiing-shen Chair Professor (Nankai University, 2006) Chang Jiang Scholar Chair Professor (China MOE, 2009) Teacher of the Year 2015 (Wisconsin Association of Chinese Language Teachers) Distinguished Guest Professor (multiple Chinese universities) Professor Zhang has advised numerous students and led curriculum development in Chinese language and linguistics. He has secured research grants from prestigious foundations and has held leadership roles in international scholarly organizations. He is currently executive editor of the International Journal of Chinese Linguistics and series editor for Routledge Studies in Chinese Linguistics . He leads a research group focused on prosodic theory and Chinese linguistic analysis, contributing to interdisciplinary projects connecting linguistics, literature, and language education.

Pilar ValenzuelaView profile

Professor

• Linguistics
• Panoan Languages
• Kawapanan Languages
• +7 more

Dr. Pilar Valenzuela is a Professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences , Chapman University. Her work focuses on Panoan and Kawapanan languages of the Peruvian Amazon, including Shiwilu (Jebero) and Amahuaca , with expertise in linguistic typology, phonology, morphosyntax, and language revitalization . Education: Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (BA in Hispanic Linguistics & Literature, Diploma in Anthropology) University of Oregon (MA and PhD in Linguistics) Research Highlights: She has published three books and numerous articles on synchronic and historical syntax , verb borrowing , and ethnobiological taxonomies . Her PhD dissertation on Shipibo-Konibo grammar won the Mary R. Haas Book Award . Awards & Grants: Recipient of the Wang-Fradkin Professorship (2006-2008) and a National Science Foundation grant (DEL BCS-0853285) for documenting Kawapanan languages. In 2012, she received the Global Engagement Research Award from Chapman University. Teaching: Offers courses in Spanish linguistics, advanced grammar, and documenting Shiwilu , a critically endangered language. Collaborates with Chapman undergraduate students on creating a trilingual (Shiwilu-Spanish-English) dictionary . Publications: Recent work explores lexical tone in Amahuaca , temporal constructions , and body-part terminology in Pano-Takana languages.

Thomas JügelView profile

Researcher

• Historical Linguistics
• Comparative Linguistics
• Ergativity and Alignment
• +4 more

Dr. Thomas Jügel is a Researcher and Project Leader at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, focusing on the Middle Persian language and Zoroastrian texts through the MPCD project. He holds a PhD in Comparative Linguistics from Goethe-Universität Frankfurt (2013) and an MA in Iranic Studies from Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Berlin (2004). His research explores historical linguistics, ergativity, tense/aspect systems, and Iranic dialectology, with a particular emphasis on Middle Iranic languages. Key projects include the digital annotation of Middle Persian corpora and investigations into Kurdish linguistic history. His academic career includes postdoctoral research in Sweden, France, and Japan, supported by grants from DFG, JSPS, and Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung. Jügel’s publications span studies on Middle Persian morphology, Avestan computational analysis, and the syntactic evolution of Iranic languages. He collaborates internationally, contributing to journals like Science and Bibliotheca Orientalis , and co-edits volumes on word order variation and Indo-European language origins. Current roles include leading the 'Aspect in Middle Persian' project and serving as a Research Associate at the Center for Religious Studies. His work bridges traditional linguistic analysis with computational methods, advancing digital corpus tools for ancient and medieval texts.

Petra GoedegebuureView profile

Associate Professor

• Linguistic Hittitology
• Syntactic Alignment
• Discourse Cohesion
• +5 more

Petra Goedegebuure is an Associate Professor of Hittitology and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Chicago , affiliated with the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures and the Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC) department. She specializes in the intersection of linguistics , philology , and cultural analysis of ancient Anatolian societies. Research Focus: Syntactic alignment, discourse cohesion, information structure, language change in contact situations (Hattic-Hittite, Hittite-Luwian, Hittite-Hurrian), and semiotic analysis of Hittite texts. Advising: Works with students on topics spanning Anatolian languages, West-Semitic languages, and extinct language analysis. Scientific Awards: Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research Fellowship Franke Institute of the Humanities Fellowship American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship Recent Publications: Focus on Hittite demonstratives, core case semantics, Luwian hieroglyphs, and language communities in colonial Anatolia.

• Sino-Tibetan linguistics
• Historical linguistics
• Comparative linguistics
• +5 more

Guillaume JACQUES serves as a Research Director at CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) affiliated with the Center for Linguistic Research on East Asia (CRLAO) at INALCO (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales) in Paris, France. His professional address is CRLAO, INALCO, 2 rue de Lille, 75007 Paris. He leads Research Team III focused on Sino-Tibetan languages and their East Asian context. His research expertise spans Sino-Tibetan linguistics , historical linguistics , and comparative linguistics , with specialized knowledge in phonology , morphology , and the documentation of understudied languages including Tibeto-Burman languages , Tangut , and Rgyalrong . His scholarly work emphasizes linguistic reconstruction, sound change analysis, and morphosyntactic patterns in endangered East Asian languages. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a concentrated research trajectory examining complex morphological systems across Tibeto-Burman languages, particularly Japhug Rgyalrong. His work integrates detailed language documentation with broader comparative frameworks, addressing verb morphology, clause structure, and historical phonological developments. He frequently collaborates with scholars like Anton Antonov on cross-linguistic studies of direct-inverse systems and person marking. Dr. JACQUES actively contributes to academic knowledge dissemination through teaching graduate courses in Typology at INALCO and participating in major linguistic conferences including the annual Journées de linguistique d'Asie orientale. His digital presence includes the 'Panchronica' blog and contributions to the ANR HimalCo-Himalayan Corpora project, reflecting his commitment to open scholarship and linguistic documentation.

• Syntax
• Mandarin Chinese Linguistics
• Diachronic Syntax
• +2 more

Waltraud Paul is a Research Director at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), affiliated with the Center for Linguistic Research on East Asia (CRLAO) since 1994. She is a member of Research Team II focusing on Formal Syntax and Semantics of Contemporary East Asian Languages: Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese. Her work is centered at the Condorcet Campus in Aubervilliers, France. Dr. Paul's primary research focuses on the syntax of modern Mandarin Chinese, with additional work in diachronic syntax of Chinese. Her specific interests include the structure of the extended VP in Mandarin, the ba-construction, focus cleft constructions (shi...de), left periphery and low IP areas including topic markers and sentence-final particles, adjective vs verb distinctions, adjectival modification, double object constructions, syntax/semantics mismatches, and serial verb constructions. She has made significant contributions to understanding the formal structure of Chinese syntax within broader linguistic theory. Her recent publications demonstrate continued engagement with fundamental questions in Chinese syntax, particularly regarding sentence-final particles, aspect marking, small clauses, and topic prominence. Her work consistently bridges theoretical linguistics with detailed empirical analysis of Chinese language phenomena. Dr. Paul serves on the editorial boards of several prestigious linguistics journals, including Glossa (associate editor since 2016, interim co-editor-in-chief in 2015), Linguistic Inquiry (associate editorial board since 2018), and previously Lingua (2010-2015) and Linguistics Notebooks – Asia - Oriental (co-editor-in-chief 1992-2000). She has authored two influential books: "New Perspectives on Chinese Syntax" (2015) and "The Syntax of Verb-Object Phrases in Chinese: Constraints and Reanalysis" (1988), both contributing significantly to the field of Chinese linguistics and theoretical syntax more broadly.