Linguistics
Professor John Saeed, Professor Ailbhe Ní Chasaide, Dr Jeffrey Kallen, Dr Elaine Uí Dhonnchadha, Dr. Martine Smith, Dr. Irene Walsh, Dr Carl Vogel (Computer Science Department), Dr. Lorraine Leeson, Dr. Brian Nolan (Adjunct Lecturer),
A theory of linguistic knowledge is crucial to research across the School. Contemporary linguistic theory seeks not only to develop models that can characterize all human languages but those that are constrained enough to account for what linguistic systems are possible. A particular research focus is the modularity of linguistic knowledge and the interfaces between the different linguistic modules, both in normal language processing and in language breakdown, for example in aphasia.
An important research strand in the School is the theoretical analysis of the interface between syntax on the one hand and semantics and pragmatics on the other. On the syntax/semantics interface the interest has been in verbal argument structure, for example the grammatical processes of causatives, passive and other voice constructions. On the syntax/pragmatics interface research is continuing on information structure: the study of focus, topic, new and given information.
Research Areas
- Syntax (Prof. John Saeed, Dr. Brian Nolan,Dr. Elaine Uí Dhonnchadha)
- Semantics (Prof. John Saeed, Dr. Adrian Tien, Dr. Brian Nolan, Dr. Carl Vogel)
- Pragmatics (Prof. John Saeed, Dr. Carl Vogel)
- Sociolinguistics (Dr. Jeffrey Kallen)
- Phonology (Prof. Ailbhe Ní Chasaide, Dr Jeffrey Kallen)
- Morphology (Dr Jeffrey Kallen, Dr. Elaine Uí Dhonnchadha)
- Experimental Phonetics/Phonology (Dr. Christer Gobl, Prof. Ailbhe Ní Chasaide)
- Corpus Linguistics (Dr. Elaine Uí Dhonnchadha, Dr Jeffrey Kallen, Dr. Lorraine Leeson)