Department: Surrey Morphology Group
Web Address: https://www.smg.surrey.ac.uk/

Level: PhD

Institution/Organization: University of Surrey

Duties: Research

Specialty Areas: Historical Linguistics; Morphology

Description:

An exciting opportunity to apply for a full-time PhD with the Surrey Morphology Group, on the topic: ‘The evolution of morphological paradigm complexity as words undergo fusion’.

The project:
How do inflectional systems evolve? One process of language change is univerbation, where two erstwhile words become one, as in Latin ‘cantare habeo’ > French ‘chanterai’. A far-reaching ramification of univerbation can be the reshaping of a language’s inflectional system, yet presently we possess little detailed, systematic knowledge of what is possible and what is likely during these events. For instance, to what extent are inflectional classes disrupted, and how? And to what stages in the grammaticalisation dynamic does it make sense to attribute these changes? The recipient of this studentship will help to reveal how inflectional systems transform when words collide.

The Surrey Morphology Group is the world’s largest research group focussing on linguistic morphology. With over twenty-five years of outstanding research success, the group is an ideal environment to build your competence and achievements as a researcher. At the heart of the group’s ethos are a deep fidelity to the empirical diversity of the world’s languages, the rigorous pursuit of challenging theoretical questions, and the nurturing of its members in a highly stimulating, collegial and intellectually engaging research environment.

The student will join this vibrant research community, receiving training and carrying out their work among researchers at all levels of seniority, in the world’s leading centre of research into inflectional morphology. The project is a component of a British Academy Global Professorship grant to Prof. Erich Round, modelling the evolutionary dynamics of inflectional systems. The recipient will work closely with supervisors Prof Erich Round and Dr Matthew Baerman, and will have daily contact with colleagues working at the leading edge of a host of fascinating, challenging topics in morphology and language change.

For more information and to apply, please visit the application link below.

Applications Deadline: 15-Nov-2021

Web Address for Applications: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/studentships/evolution-morphological-paradigm-complexity-words-undergo-fusion-0

Contact Information:
Prof Erich Round
e.round(at)surrey.ac.uk