Amy Dahlstrom

Dr. Amy Dahlstrom investigates issues of morphology, syntax, semantics, and information structure in Algonquian languages, especially Meskwaki (Fox), spoken in Iowa, and Plains Cree, spoken in Saskatchewan and Albert; her syntactic work is in the theoretical framework of Lexical Functional Grammar. Her research combines data from field elicitation with analysis of narrative texts, because textual attestations are particularly important for teasing out information structure relations such as topic and focus in languages with extremely flexible word order, and for understanding the role played by the discourse-based opposition within third person in Algonquian languages known as obviation. As part of her work with narrative texts, she has edited and translated portions of a remarkable corpus of texts (more than 27,000 pages) written in the Meskwaki syllabary by monolingual speakers in the early 20th century, making them available both to scholars and to members of the community who no longer read the traditional syllabary.

Books:

• Dahlstrom, A. 2014. Plains Cree morphosyntax. London: Routledge.
• [in prep] Historical and Philological Approaches to Native American Languages and Beyond, ed. by David J. Costa, Amy Dahlstrom, and Lucy Thomason.

Selected Articles:

• [to appear] "Clause combining: Syntax of subordination and complementation." Handbook of Languages and Linguistics of North America, ed. by Carmen Jany, Marianne Mithun, and Keren Rice. Mouton de Gruyter.
• [to appear] (with Ives Goddard as first author) "Meskwaki (Algonquian) evidence against basic word order and configurational models of argument roles." Language Change and Endangered Languages: Studies in Honor of Lyle Campbell, ed. by Tiago Chacon, Nala Lee, and Wilson Alvarez.
• [in press] "An overview of Meskwaki evidentiality." Papers of the 49th Algonquian Conference, ed. by Monica Macaulay and Margaret Noodin, 81-98. Michigan State University Press.
• 2019. "Embedded questions in Meskwaki: syntax and information structure." Papers of the 48th Algonquian Conference, ed by Monica Macaulay and Margaret Noodin, 69-85. Michigan State University Press.
• 2017. "Obviation and information structure in Meskwaki." Papers of the 46th Algonquian Conference, ed. by Monica Macaulay and Margaret Noodin, 39-54. Michigan State University Press.
• 2015. "Highlighting rhetorical structure through syntactic analysis: An illustrated Meskwaki text by Alfred Kiyana." New Voices for Old Words: Algonquian Oral Literatures, ed. by David J Costa, 118-197. U of Nebraska Press.

Pedagogy Proseminar (LING 47800) - Autumn 2019/Winter 2020/Spring 2020

A yearlong series of presentations focusing on various aspects of teaching linguistics courses, including course design, incorporating multimedia into the lecture, and blackboard technique. There will be two pedagogy presentations available each quarter; graduate students must attend six of the presentations by the end of their third year in the program.

Introduction to Syntax (LING 20201) - Winter 2021

This course is an introduction to basic goals and methods of current syntactic theory through a detailed analysis of a range of phenomena, with emphasis on argumentation and empirical justification. Major topics include phrase structure and constituency, selection and subcategorization, argument structure, case, voice, expletives, and raising and control structures.

Discourse Analysis (LING 27300-37300) - Winter 2021

Course Description: TBD.

Pedagogy Proseminar (LING 47800) - Autumn 2019/Winter 2020/Spring 2020

A yearlong series of presentations focusing on various aspects of teaching linguistics courses, including course design, incorporating multimedia into the lecture, and blackboard technique. There will be two pedagogy presentations available each quarter; graduate students must attend six of the presentations by the end of their third year in the program.

Chicago Linguistic Landscape (LING 27150/37150) - Autumn 20219

The field of Linguistic Landscapes examines the public display of languages, dialects, and writing systems: who is the author and audience of such messages? which languages are chosen for official signage? what can we learn about present or past multilingualism? what is conveyed by nonstandard dialect forms or stylized writing? In this course students will collaborate on creating an online map of Chicago with geo-tagged images.  At least three weekend days will be spent on field trips to Chicago neighborhoods.

Lexical Functional Grammar (LING 24400/44400) - Winter 2020

Course Description: TBD.