Ivy Sichel

Ivy Sichel is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, with research focusing on syntactic theory and language variation. Her office is located in Stevenson 233, and she maintains regular office hours as evidenced by her Spring 2017 schedule (Tuesdays 11am-12pm & Wednesdays 9am-10am).

Professor Sichel's research spans two primary domains: theoretical syntax and historical sociolinguistics. In syntax, she investigates pronouns and their competitive relationships with gaps, anaphors, and demonstratives across different linguistic contexts. Her work on Negative Concord examines cross-linguistic variation patterns through collaborations with linguists at Hebrew University and University of Göttingen. In historical sociolinguistics, she specializes in the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language, with particular attention to women's contributions during early immigration waves and the standardization of vernacular Hebrew after Israel's establishment.

Her recent scholarly output shows a clear trend toward interdisciplinary work connecting formal linguistic theory with sociocultural contexts, particularly in documenting how ideological and identity factors shaped Hebrew's revival. The publications demonstrate expertise spanning syntactic theory, historical linguistics, and sociolinguistics with emphasis on language contact and standardization processes.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Stevenson Distinguished Faculty Lecture (2017) on 'Ideology and Identity in the Revival of Spoken Hebrew'

Professor Sichel maintains active research collaborations, particularly with Miri Bar-Ziv Levy on women's role in Hebrew language communities and with Uri Mor on Hebrew standardization processes. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics with historical sociolinguistics, examining how multiple social forces shape language emergence and standardization.

Her research team includes international collaborators across Hebrew University, University of Göttingen, and UC Santa Cruz, focusing on both theoretical syntax projects and historical documentation of Hebrew's revival as a unique case of successful language revitalization.