This project aims to the development of descriptive studies on Indonesian Languages.

Activities

"Workshop on Indonesian-type Voice Systems"

Dates and Venue:
17-18 July 2010
Room 304, ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo, Japan.

Access:
http://lingdy.aacore.jp/en/contact/index.html

Participants:
Anthony Jukes (La Trobe University)
Antonia Soriente (University of Naples "L'Orientale" and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)
Asako Shiohara (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)
David Gil (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology )
Domenyk Eades (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman)
Hooi Ling Soh (University of Minnesota)
Ketut Artawa (Udayana University, Bali, Indonesia)
Kazuya Inagaki (Osaka University)
Naonori Nagaya (Rice University)
Hiroki Nomoto (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)
Peter Austin (SOAS, University of London)
Ritsuko Kikusawa (National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka and The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Kanagawa)

Aims:
This workshop will primarily discuss Indonesian-type voice systems, which are characterised by the distinction of two voice constructions (actor voice and undergoer voice), and by applicative constructions (see Ross 2002: 52 and Arka and Ross 2004: 7, Adelaar 2006: 7). The main aim is to gather descriptive studies of individual languages of this type, in order to share knowledge on common features and the extent of variation to be found within the group. The main types of variation likely to be discussed include the following:

(1) Formal variation of voice constructions.
Some Indonesian-type languages/dialects exhibit some deviation from the typical system mentioned above. Some languages retain more voice-related PAn morphemes and exhibit more complex morphology and syntax (e.g., Woollams 2006: 555-558 on Karo Batak), while other languages/dialects lack certain morphology that is characteristic to the Indonesian-type (e.g, Gil 2000 on some dialects of Malay), possibly because of language contact and/or independent developments.
In languages/dialects with a typical Indonesian-type voice system, the status of the two voice constructions as transitive constructions varies: some languages exhibit clearly ‘symmetrical’ voice alternation in which neither of the two voice constructions can be considered to be an unmarked transitive construction, while in other languages one of the voices could be considered marked (e.g., actor voice in Balinese (Himmelmann 2005:135)).

(2) Variation in the use of the voice system in discourse.
Factors that condition voice alternation seem to vary among the individual languages. Voice alternation may be conditioned by semantic features, such as the aspect of the situation expressed, definiteness of the participants, and/or by the topicality of actor or undergoer (Arka and Ross 2005: 9-12).

In addition to the synchronic/empirical studies mentioned above, historical or theoretical studies on Indonesian-type voice systems are also welcomed.

References
Adelaar, Alexander and Nikolaus P. Himmelmann (eds), 2005. The Austronesian Languages of Asia and Madagascar. London: Routledge.
Adelaar, Alexander, 2005. The Austronesian Languages of Asia and Madagascar: A Historical Perspective, in Adelaar & Himmelmann (eds), 1-42.
Arka, I Wayan and Malcolm Ross, 2005. Introduction, in I Wayan Arka and Malcolm Ross (eds), The many faces of Austronesian Voice Systems: Some new empirical studies, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, 1-15.
Gil, David, 2002. The prefix di- and N- in Malay/ Indonesian dialects, in Wouk & Ross (eds), 241-283.
Himmelmann, Nikolaus P, 2005. The Austronesian Languages of Asia and Madagascar: Typological Characteristics, in Adelaar & Himmelmann (eds), 110-181.
Ross, Malcolm, 2002, History and Transitivity of Western Austronesian voice, in Wouk & Ross (eds).
Woollams, Geoff, 2005. Karo Batak, in Adelaar & Himmelmann (eds), 534-561.
Wouk, Fay and Malcolm Ross (eds.), 2002. The History and Typology of Western Austronesian Voice Systems. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.

Sessions (Information for the participants):
Session length will be 50 minutes including 10 minutes discussion. There will be a 10 minute break between each session.
Talks concentrating on languages/dialects significantly different from standard Malay should include a detailed description of how the voice system works, or in the absence of a complete voice system, a discussion of what systems (if any) serve the same types of function.