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Irish consonant mutations in English loanwords
No full textOne of the most unique features of the Irish language (as well as its sisters, such as Scots Gaelic and Welsh) is the morpho-phonological system of initial consonant mutation. Irish has two principal mutations: lenition, which converts plosives to fricatives (while preserving voicing) and debuccalizes or deletes radical fricatives; and eclipsis, which replaces voiceless plosives with voiced plosives, voiced plosives with nasals, and fricatives with glides. These two mutation paradigms are robust in modern Irish and both apply to nouns, verbs, and adjectives to encode a variety of grammatical information: compare a cat ‘her cat’ and a gcat ‘his cat,’ which differ only in initial mutation, with the first having no mutation and the second undergoing eclipsis (/k/→ /g/). This paper concerns the case of English words loaned into Irish and the degree to which speakers incorporate them into these mutation paradigms. Theoretically, we can understand that Irish speakers encountering English loans could incorporate them into their morpho-phonology in one of two ways: either by leaving the English words untouched or by treating them like Irish words and mutating them as necessary. Previous studies of conversational and elicited data, like Nancy Stenson’s 1990 survey of Ráth Cairn Irish, established that different initial consonants are mutated at different rates in loans, but go no further in attempting to explain why the consonants differ in this regard. My reading of Stenson’s data demonstrates that, although all segments accept eclipsis fairly readily, there are three levels of resistance to lenition: those segments which do not significantly resist lenition (namely /p/→/f/ , /b/→/v/, /m/→/w/, /k/→/x/, and /g/→/ɣ/, which are realized in 75% or more of tokens), those that resist it partially (/t/ →/h/, /d/→/ɣ/, and /s/→/h/, which are realized in 30-50% of tokens) and those that resist it strongly (this last group consisting only of /f/→/∅/, which occurs in only 6% of tokens). I propose an Optimality Theory analysis to account for these differences, positing that the intermediate class of consonants resist lenition because they violate a high-ranked faithfulness constraint (namely IDENT-PLACE) in the process of mutating into their lenited forms. I further posit that /f/ resists lenition even more thoroughly because the mutation violates an even more highly-ranked constraint which prohibits consonant deletion. I also address the unique sociolinguistic landscape of Irish in the modern day and consider some of the interesting questions at the intersection of language revitalization and this phonological phenomena: seeing as Stenson’s data is nearly 30 years old, how might the trends of mutation changed in the interim? Ideally, a large study obtaining conversational data of Irish speakers from different parts of the country (and even in Northern Ireland) could yield fascinating results and serve to either corroborate or question my conclusions here.
References:
Mícheál Ó Sidhail (1989). Modern Irish: Grammatical Structure and Dialectical Variation. Cambridge University Press.Ní Chasaide, Ailbhe (1999). "Irish". Handbook of the International Phonetic Association. Cambridge University Press. pp. 111–16. Chudak, Magdalena (2010). “Recent English Loanwords in Irish and the Interchange of Initial Segments.” pp. 61-70Conroy, Kevin (2008). Celtic initial consonant mutations – nghath and bhfuil. Stenson, Nancy (1990). “Patterns of mutation in Irish Loanwords”. Éigse 24. pp. 9-25
La structure prosodique du quenya
No full textThe Quenya language, a conlang invented by J.R.R. Tolkien, has received very little linguistic study, which is not entirely surprising given the fact that Quenya is not a living language, the focus of most linguists. Despite its artificial nature and under-studied position, Quenya is a very interesting language to study; it displays a variety of (morpho)phonological, prosodic and grammatical processes that also appear in living languages today. This paper attempts to present an introduction to Quenya prosodic features, including syllables, primary stress and non-metrical secondary stress. I use an Optimality Theory (OT) framework to analyze two posited phonological processes that occur in the language, namely syllable shortening and prosodic lengthening. This paper suggests that through OT, both processes can reasonably be summed up and conflated into one overarching principle, which is the avoidance of ultimate stress assignment. I outline an OT analysis that captures this generalization and attempts to exhibit morphology’s overt interaction with phonology
The Postminimal is Political: Social Activism in the Music of Julius Eastman and Ann Southam
No full textThe emergence of postminimalism around 1980 allowed composers to combine minimalist musical techniques with their own distinct compositional approaches. Some composers, including American Julius Eastman and Canadian Ann Southam, exercised a consciousness-raising approach to composition by infusing their postminimalist works with political messages relevant to the gay liberation and feminist movements of the late twentieth century. In the work Gay Guerrilla (1979), Eastman pursued an original compositional approach, which he called ‘organic music,’ to explore themes of heroism and courage in the work’s climax. These musical themes resonated with the post-Stonewall gay liberation movement in the United States, particularly the assassination of Harvey Milk in San Francisco. Additionally, the repetitive processes of Southam's Glass Houses No. 5 (1981) constitute a highly organised compositional approach wherein the same music is constantly repeated in different contexts. These tight patterns referenced the contemporary genre of 'women's music' by physically resembling patient and cyclic work done by hand – work traditionally completed by women – and by critiquing this collective experience of ‘women’s work.’ By including these political associations in their art, Julius Eastman and Ann Southam created consciousness-raising critiques of contemporary trends of North American social activism.
Content Note: This paper discusses violence against the queer and trans community, including an assassination, and also mentions two musical compositions which use a racial slur in their titles
Social Functions of Tonga Nicknames in Zambia
No full textNicknames in many African societies serve important social roles. The coinage of these names is informed by immediate societal needs. Using Speech Act Theory, this study argues that Tonga nicknames perform various illocutionary acts, such as to warn, praise, criticise, encourage, inform and reprimand. These acts foster and promote the sense of togetherness which is the cornerstone of most African societies. The study concludes that through these names, the behaviour of people is shaped and regulated according to society’s expectations. Ultimately, many social problems such as conflict between societal members, poverty, hunger, witchcraft and prostitution are minimised. At the same time, sharing, diligence, decorum, hard work, moral uprightness and a general sense of societal responsibility are encouraged.Les surnoms dans les sociétés africaines jouent un rôle important en raison de de leur sens qui peut être manipulé de façon à avoir des répercussions sur la société. Les rôles de ces surnoms comprennent, sans toutefois s’y limiter, les aspects sociaux, politiques, culturels et religieux relativement à la société. Parmi les personnes appartenant au groupe ethnique des Tonga, les fonctions sociales des surnoms n’ont pas fait l’objet d’études suffisantes. Ces noms jouent des rôles sociaux de façon si judicieuse que la société des Tonga, grâce à ces noms, est informée et avertie au sujet de phénomènes sociétaux de grande ampleur. Le présent article dévoile ces fonctions et avance que les surnoms des Tonga sont des actes de langage dont les actes illocutoires forgent cette société. Les données ont été recueillies grâce à des entrevues en profondeur partiellement structurées réalisées auprès de 22 informateurs clés d’un district rural d’une province dans le sud de la Zambie, et qui comprenaient des adultes et des jeunes. La raison derrière le choix d’une population rurale est que l’on obtient ainsi une véritable représentation de surnoms dans un contexte naturel par opposition à un milieu urbain. Grâce à la théorie des actes de langage, nous montrons dans le présent article que les surnoms des Tonga jouent divers actes illocutoires comme ceux notamment d’avertir, de louanger, de critiquer, d’encourager, d’informer et de réprimander. En guise de conclusion, les surnoms sont utiles à cet égard, car ils ne sont pas immunisés contre la manipulation en situation de création ou d’usage
The Value of Methodological Pluralism in the Study of Locke on Slavery and Absolutism: A Rejoinder to Felix Waldmann
No full textThis article offers a rejoinder to Felix Waldmann. In a critical note published in Locke Studies, Waldmann challenges our recent reconstruction of Locke’s thesis, developed across the Second Treatise of Government, that humans cannot possibly agree to subject themselves to absolute rule. Call this thesis No Contractual Absolutism. Our reconstruction, Waldmann objects, “neglects a basic datum of scholarship”: i.e., that Locke’s Second Treatise intended to counter Filmer’s political theory. Our reply is two-pronged. First, we argue that No Contractual Absolutism cannot plausibly be construed as an attack on Filmer, since it challenges a thesis that he did not hold. Indeed, as for him no form of government can be contractual in origin, Filmer would have agreed with Locke that absolute rule cannot be instituted by agreement. As our initial article suggested, the standard view about whom the polemical target is of the Second Treatise requires qualification with respect to No Contractual Absolutism. Second, we contend that Waldmann’s concerns rest on discipline-specific methodological assumptions, which are unhelpful for the kind of analytical reconstruction we advanced. We conclude with a plea for methodological pluralism in the study of Locke’s thought
Presenilin 1 gene mutations: a potential marker to help diagnose early onset Alzheimer’s disease
No full textAlzheimer’s disease is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide with a substantial healthcare expenditure of almost $500 billion dollars. Alzheimer’s is primarily considered a disease of the aging population, with 95% of cases being diagnosed in patients over 65. Alzheimer’s in patients under 65 years of age are termed early onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD). The clinical presentation and disease mechanism of EOAD are quite distinct from typical Alzheimer’s. For example, EOAD patients often experience more rapid cognitive decline and have cortical region atrophy as opposed to temporal region atrophy. The atypical nature of EOAD frequently leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment. This delay is especially problematic for EOAD patients because they are at a stage of life with significant responsibilities such as maintaining their careers and families. This case study examines a previously healthy 32-year-old man that was mistakenly suspected of having frontotemporal dementia. Alzheimer’s was not considered as a correct diagnosis due to the atypical symptoms and weak family history for the disease. For these reasons, genetic analysis was not used to help make a diagnosis. The patient died at the age of 36 and autopsy revealed markers of Alzheimer’s including neuritic plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles. Genetic analysis revealed no presenilin 1 (PSEN1) mutations which has been associated with EOAD. However, this patient may have had deletion mutations that could not be investigated due to the lack of frozen tissue for RNA analysis. This case illustrates the importance of genetic testing for EOAD diagnosis
Misinformation and Lack of Evidence-Based Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review.
No full textSocial media and online communication are integral in how societies consume information today. As social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube) support the spread and reach of information to over a billion users worldwide, health promotion strategies aim to improve the public’s ability to obtain accurate online health content. The current COVID-19 pandemic is paralleled by an overabundance of information, making it difficult to determine what is valid and credible and what is false. Misinformation surrounding prevention measures and cures can lead to negative public health effects. The WHO is working collaboratively with social media platforms to track and respond to misinformation by validating evidence-based facts, providing warning labels on inaccurate content, and removing posts that make false claims to reduce the spread of misinformation related to COVID-19. This narrative review aims to summarize the effects of social media during a public health emergency and explore the current and newly implemented policies that aim to limit the spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will examine the addition of health literacy initiatives through multimedia campaigns to strengthen community action and develop personal skills, as identified in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, to react and reflect on information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight a gap in the literature related to information sharing and consumption and provide recommendations for promoting public health literacy and improving the online presence of public health professionals. 
British Columbia’s Community Benefits Agreement: Economic Justice for Indigenous Workers in Relation to Union Politics in Urban Infrastructure Projects
No full textBritish Columbia’s Community Benefits Agreement that aims to provide jobs in the construction trades for underrepresented groups serves as a case to explore the successes and barriers to distributing the benefits of urban development to Indigenous groups towards the goal of economic justice. Through a content analysis of stakeholder interviews and documents about the agreement, we found that, while there is optimism that the CBA may help advance public discourse on economic justice for Indigenous Peoples, there are significant barriers that have gone unaddressed in this and other labor agreements due to a lack of community engagement. These include lack of transportation, continued marginalization of Indigenous workers into unskilled labor, and the reinforcement of dependence on non-Indigenous economies
Creating the Identity of Queen Njinga
No full textThis essay explores the misrepresentation of truth and how writers and groups have used historical evidence to suit their purposes, at times ignoring contrasting facts and evidence. In specific, it discusses the life of Queen Njinga of Mbande and how she has been used by European and anti-colonial authors to justify actions and decisions made by those in authority. When contrasting the two, accounts oversimplify her merits and accomplishments which also diminishes the history of the region and African agency. This discussion is centered around Linda Heywood’s book, Njinga of Angola, which creates the most complete view of Queen Njinga to date
