Chris Collins

Chris Collins is a Professor of Linguistics at New York University's Department of Linguistics, part of the College of Arts and Science. He holds a Ph.D. (1993) and B.S. (1985) in Linguistics and Mathematics from MIT. His research focuses on syntax, particularly African languages including Khoisan (ǂHoan, Ju|'hoansi, N|uu), Ewe, and English. Key interests include negation, anaphora, argument structure, and the smuggling theory of syntactic movement. He has authored/co-authored monographs on Khoisan linguistics and edited volumes on syntax theory. Notable awards include the Guggenheim Fellowship (2015-2016). He teaches courses in syntax, field methods, and African linguistics, and co-organizes the African Linguistics School to support African-based researchers. His work integrates formal theory with empirical fieldwork on endangered languages.

Education:

• Ph.D. 1993, Linguistics, MIT
• B.S. 1985, Mathematics, MIT

Research Interests: Collins explores syntax with a focus on African languages, emphasizing Khoisan languages' structural complexity. His work on negation and syntactic phenomena like imposters bridges formal theory and typological description. He advocates for transparency in syntax-semantics interfaces and has pioneered the smuggling approach to syntactic derivations.

Publications: Over 70 articles and books, including Smuggling in Syntax (2020) and A Grammar of ǂHȍã (2014). Recent work includes theoretical syntax, Khoisan language documentation, and cross-linguistic studies of negation and NPIs.