Category
Topic
Year
The functions of des- and mata-converb constructions
Keywords: syntax, semantics, grammatical semantics, constructional meaning, Estonian des-construction, Estonian mata-construction
The Estonian des- and mata-constructions operate as free modifiers of event constructions, thus qualifying for the typological definition of a converb construction. The des-converb construction modifies the main clause by expressing the occurrence of an event, whereas the mata-converb construction does the same by expressing the non-occurrence of an event. The adverbial function of the converb construction varies depending on context. As previous research has shown, the variation of the function of the des– and mata-converb construction is quite extensive. The article suggests some semantic-pragmatic categories forming a framework to describe this variation. The framework inloves two base functions…
The Estonian des- and mata-constructions operate as free modifiers of event constructions, thus qualifying for the typological definition of a converb construction. The des-converb construction modifies the main clause by expressing the occurrence of an event, whereas the mata-converb construction does the same by expressing the non-occurrence of an event. The adverbial function of the converb construction varies depending on context. As previous research has shown, the variation of the function of the des– and mata-converb construction is quite extensive. The article suggests some semantic-pragmatic categories forming a framework to describe this variation. The framework inloves two base functions…
The pleasure(?) of thinking
Keywords: Hando Runnel, essayistics, fine arts, humans, society
The article examines the essays by Hando Runnel with accent on the author’s worldview, fundamental beliefs and creative principles, in short, Runnel’s philosophical position. The approach used is inductive, as it is not based on a ready-made scheme of interpretation but is rather moving from text to text to collect keywords, which are eventually categorised into thematic groups. The first part of the article discusses artistic and literary issues, after which the focus shifts on to man and his big challenges such as individuality and collectivity, naturalness and estrangement, ethics and religion. The…
The article examines the essays by Hando Runnel with accent on the author’s worldview, fundamental beliefs and creative principles, in short, Runnel’s philosophical position. The approach used is inductive, as it is not based on a ready-made scheme of interpretation but is rather moving from text to text to collect keywords, which are eventually categorised into thematic groups. The first part of the article discusses artistic and literary issues, after which the focus shifts on to man and his big challenges such as individuality and collectivity, naturalness and estrangement, ethics and religion. The…
Some words of a criminal background (slang) in the Estonian standard language: ment and parask
Keywords: Estonian language, Estonian slang, Estonian dialects, Russian language, Russian slang, loanwords, criminal subculture, etymology
Two Russian loanwords borrowed into standard Estonian – ment and parask – are discussed. Those two loanwords are specific for originating in the criminal subculture, to be more exact, in prison slang. The article presents the more credible hypotheses advanced on the origin or etymology of those words.
The word ment ’policeman, copper’ is a Russian loanword probably originating in Polish slang. The word is also likely to be linked with the Russian ментик – pelisse (fur-trimmed jacket, multiple breasted, with cords and eyelets, worn loosely over…
Two Russian loanwords borrowed into standard Estonian – ment and parask – are discussed. Those two loanwords are specific for originating in the criminal subculture, to be more exact, in prison slang. The article presents the more credible hypotheses advanced on the origin or etymology of those words.
The word ment ’policeman, copper’ is a Russian loanword probably originating in Polish slang. The word is also likely to be linked with the Russian ментик – pelisse (fur-trimmed jacket, multiple breasted, with cords and eyelets, worn loosely over…
Two colleagues sharing a common interest
Keywords: Heldur Niit, Ülo Tedre, folklore studies, editing practices, newer folk song
The article discusses the history of Estonian folkloristics via the activities and relations of copy editor Heldur Niit and folklorist Ülo Tedre. Heldur Niit had majored in folklore at the University of Tartu and also taken a postgraduate course in the subject. From 1972–2007 he worked as copy editor for folklore and literary studies at the journal Keel ja Kirjandus. Ülo Tedre, Head of the Department of Folklore at the Institute of the Estonian Language sat on the advisory board of the journal and authored a great number of…
The article discusses the history of Estonian folkloristics via the activities and relations of copy editor Heldur Niit and folklorist Ülo Tedre. Heldur Niit had majored in folklore at the University of Tartu and also taken a postgraduate course in the subject. From 1972–2007 he worked as copy editor for folklore and literary studies at the journal Keel ja Kirjandus. Ülo Tedre, Head of the Department of Folklore at the Institute of the Estonian Language sat on the advisory board of the journal and authored a great number of…
Name transfer and its interpretation in Estonian toponymy
Keywords:Estonian, onomastics, place names, secondary naming, transferred names
The article explores toponyms that originate from proprial names. The phenomenon in which an already existing name has been transferred to denote another place is called name transfer and the names that have originated from already existing names are called transferred names. Name transfer has not been a particular field of interest in Estonian onomastics so far. The article provides an overview of the relevant theories and perceptions related to the subject of name transfer and explains the conception applied to Estonian place names.
The more frequent the use of a place name, the more likely it…
The article explores toponyms that originate from proprial names. The phenomenon in which an already existing name has been transferred to denote another place is called name transfer and the names that have originated from already existing names are called transferred names. Name transfer has not been a particular field of interest in Estonian onomastics so far. The article provides an overview of the relevant theories and perceptions related to the subject of name transfer and explains the conception applied to Estonian place names.
The more frequent the use of a place name, the more likely it…
The shifting relationship between discourse analysis and quantification in the English- and French-language tradition
Keywords: discourse analysis, formalisation, text corpora, lexicometry
The article gives a historical overview of discussions within the Anglophone and French traditions of linguistic discourse analysis about the formalisation and quantification of text data. We begin with the first steps towards the formalisation of text analysis, derived from the work of Zellig Harris (1952). Then we consider the lexical interpretation of Harris’ work by the French lexicometric school and in a more syntax-based and critically engaged approach developed by Michel Pêcheux (1969). In contrast to the quantitative methods, we discuss qualitative approaches to discourse analysis within the humanities more generally (Michel Foucault)…
The article gives a historical overview of discussions within the Anglophone and French traditions of linguistic discourse analysis about the formalisation and quantification of text data. We begin with the first steps towards the formalisation of text analysis, derived from the work of Zellig Harris (1952). Then we consider the lexical interpretation of Harris’ work by the French lexicometric school and in a more syntax-based and critically engaged approach developed by Michel Pêcheux (1969). In contrast to the quantitative methods, we discuss qualitative approaches to discourse analysis within the humanities more generally (Michel Foucault)…
Quantitative shift in linguistics – an old discussion revived
Keywords: quantitative methods, theoretical linguistics, formal linguistics, philosophy of science, scientific method
The new trend of incorporating a large amount of quantitative data into linguistic research has sparked a wave of scientific positivism, both among researchers as well as the public. In addition to the inevitable comparison and conflict between qualitative and quantitative methods it has raised questions about the relationship between data-based and what are commonly called theoretical approaches to language science, the former casting doubt on the validity of the latter. However, on a closer look it appears that the new forum, regarding itself as methodologically oriented, can sometimes…
The new trend of incorporating a large amount of quantitative data into linguistic research has sparked a wave of scientific positivism, both among researchers as well as the public. In addition to the inevitable comparison and conflict between qualitative and quantitative methods it has raised questions about the relationship between data-based and what are commonly called theoretical approaches to language science, the former casting doubt on the validity of the latter. However, on a closer look it appears that the new forum, regarding itself as methodologically oriented, can sometimes…
Place of statistics in a language model
Keywords: morphology, corpus linguistics, linguistic variation, text statistics
The article speculates on how quantitative data may fit into a theoretical model of language. It argues that the language model should include an idea about the generation procedure at play, albeit a speculative one. A concrete example shows how quantitative data form an integral part of a model of Estonian morphology, another concrete example shows how corpus-based statistical models may result in dubious statistical calculations, and two descriptions of old experiments in statistical learning show a potential path worth following in corpus linguistics in the future: one should pay more attention to…
The article speculates on how quantitative data may fit into a theoretical model of language. It argues that the language model should include an idea about the generation procedure at play, albeit a speculative one. A concrete example shows how quantitative data form an integral part of a model of Estonian morphology, another concrete example shows how corpus-based statistical models may result in dubious statistical calculations, and two descriptions of old experiments in statistical learning show a potential path worth following in corpus linguistics in the future: one should pay more attention to…
Doing numbers and Cognitive Linguistics
Keywords: corpus linguistics, forced choice task, logistic regression, Estonian
The paper gives a short overview of the recent trends in Cognitive Linguistics. It focuses on the methodological aspects involved and exemplifies how the performance of a corpus-based statistical model can be evaluated by comparing it against the behaviour of native speakers in a linguistic experiment. A mixed-effects logistic regression model is fitted to the corpus data of the Estonian adessive case and the adposition peal ‘on’ in present-day written Estonian. In order to evaluate the goodness of the corpus-based model, its performance is compared to the behaviour of native speakers in a forced…
The paper gives a short overview of the recent trends in Cognitive Linguistics. It focuses on the methodological aspects involved and exemplifies how the performance of a corpus-based statistical model can be evaluated by comparing it against the behaviour of native speakers in a linguistic experiment. A mixed-effects logistic regression model is fitted to the corpus data of the Estonian adessive case and the adposition peal ‘on’ in present-day written Estonian. In order to evaluate the goodness of the corpus-based model, its performance is compared to the behaviour of native speakers in a forced…
Estonian learner language development – how and why: addressing an interlanguage corpus
Keywords: communicative language competence, lexicogrammatical language competence, linguistic constructions, usage-based approach, complexity, precision, Estonian as a second language
The article addresses the development of lexicogrammatical competence in written Estonian (learnt as a second language) from the B1 to B2 CEFR levels. The research material consists of performances in the writing tasks of the state exams of Estonian as a second language and it comes from the Estonian Interlanguage Corpus (EVKK). The study is focused on constructions with the modal verb võima ‘can, may, be allowed’ and the conditional mood constructions, whose frequency in the B2 level increases significantly compared to the B1 level.…
The article addresses the development of lexicogrammatical competence in written Estonian (learnt as a second language) from the B1 to B2 CEFR levels. The research material consists of performances in the writing tasks of the state exams of Estonian as a second language and it comes from the Estonian Interlanguage Corpus (EVKK). The study is focused on constructions with the modal verb võima ‘can, may, be allowed’ and the conditional mood constructions, whose frequency in the B2 level increases significantly compared to the B1 level.…
List task and naming task as psycholinguistic methods
Keywords: research methods, empirical methods, data collection, semantics, colour terms, spatial relations
Both the list task (elicitation task or listing task) and the naming task are widely used in psycholinguistics, cognitive linguistics and anthropological linguistics as well as in social sciences and clinical testing for Alzheimer’s Syndrome. Both methods are easily adaptable to linguistic and other phenomena, applicable without complicated research settings and effortless for researchers to use on research site. Due to the ease they can be used on large numbers of participants who agree to contribute their knowledge voluntarily. Empirical methods can give different results than introspection or corpus…
Both the list task (elicitation task or listing task) and the naming task are widely used in psycholinguistics, cognitive linguistics and anthropological linguistics as well as in social sciences and clinical testing for Alzheimer’s Syndrome. Both methods are easily adaptable to linguistic and other phenomena, applicable without complicated research settings and effortless for researchers to use on research site. Due to the ease they can be used on large numbers of participants who agree to contribute their knowledge voluntarily. Empirical methods can give different results than introspection or corpus…
Corpus-based quantitative dialectology
Keywords: Estonian dialects, research methods, dialect corpus, variation studies
The article gives an overview of the directions and trends in dialectology with an emphasis on Estonian dialectology. We compare different methods and approaches for studying local language varieties: traditional dialectology based on the historical-comparative method, atlas-based dialectology, variation studies which stem from variationist sociolinguistics, and corpus-based approaches, which have been gaining momentum in recent years thanks to the compilation and development of the Estonian Dialect Corpus. In the article, we give an overview of the type of data and methods these approaches use. While traditional dialectology collected abundant qualitative data, which…
The article gives an overview of the directions and trends in dialectology with an emphasis on Estonian dialectology. We compare different methods and approaches for studying local language varieties: traditional dialectology based on the historical-comparative method, atlas-based dialectology, variation studies which stem from variationist sociolinguistics, and corpus-based approaches, which have been gaining momentum in recent years thanks to the compilation and development of the Estonian Dialect Corpus. In the article, we give an overview of the type of data and methods these approaches use. While traditional dialectology collected abundant qualitative data, which…
Theoretical linguistics and quantitative methods
Keywords: quantitative turn in linguistics, theoretical linguistics, different methods in linguistics
The article serves as a preface to the present collection of articles, which are based on conference papers on “Quantitative turn in linguistics – what about theory?”. It discusses why the question has arisen and how a multitude of linguistic theories may impact our understanding of methods. Some essential theoretical concepts and their backgrounds are explained. There follows a detailed description of two examples of how a concept born in the framework of a certain theory has spread, thus acquiring an important role in the choice of method. Finally, a…
The article serves as a preface to the present collection of articles, which are based on conference papers on “Quantitative turn in linguistics – what about theory?”. It discusses why the question has arisen and how a multitude of linguistic theories may impact our understanding of methods. Some essential theoretical concepts and their backgrounds are explained. There follows a detailed description of two examples of how a concept born in the framework of a certain theory has spread, thus acquiring an important role in the choice of method. Finally, a…
A look at first language acquisition
Keywords: linguistic development, language acquisition, linguistic theory, nativism, constructivism, usage-based theory, quantitative methods
This paper reviews some theoretical controversies in first language acquisition research, based on the traditional nativist–constructivist divide. The term ‘innateness’ is discussed, along with what constitutes a counterargument to nativism. Common empirical approaches are introduced, with an emphasis on how advances in quantitative methods have shaped the field: new data collection methods and growing analytical sophistication have allowed researchers to sharpen the questions asked and the framing of answers. Corpus analysis of both the input and child language has given the field a stable empirical base, complemented by…
This paper reviews some theoretical controversies in first language acquisition research, based on the traditional nativist–constructivist divide. The term ‘innateness’ is discussed, along with what constitutes a counterargument to nativism. Common empirical approaches are introduced, with an emphasis on how advances in quantitative methods have shaped the field: new data collection methods and growing analytical sophistication have allowed researchers to sharpen the questions asked and the framing of answers. Corpus analysis of both the input and child language has given the field a stable empirical base, complemented by…