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Sesquipedalian, Volume III, Number 5

	'This is state-of-the-art.'

	'But it doesn't work!'

	'THAT is the state-of-the-art.'

The SESQUIPEDALIAN WEEKLY HERALD			Volume III, Number 5
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                                                        October 29, 1992

		 -/-/-/ SCOOP: THE STANFORD /-/-/-

You read it here first. (Don't expect to read it anywhere else.)
Stanford University, which has not hesitated in the past to resort to
business ventures to turn a profit, is developing an automobile.  Your
Sesquipedalian roving reporter was roving around campus late one
night, hoping to catch the tail-end of a pininterest workshop, when on
the way from Building 100 to CSLI, I heard the grinding noise of gears
in the construction area behind the Physics Tank and probed to see
what was going on.  There was President Gerhard Casper, seated in a
strange jeep-like vehicle doing what appeared to be road stunts.
	As I approached cautiously, he peered out at me.  When I
identified myself, he stopped, with disarming, edgy affability, 'Ok,
I'd better explain.  The budget deficit was getting worse, and trying
to take a lesson from my predecessors who opened up Stanford
Industrial Park and the Stanford Shopping Center, I figured I'd start
off my presidency with a new money-making gimmick: an automobile.  The
Stanford!  What you see here is a prototype.'
	'The Stanford?' we inquired in disbelief.
	'Ja, I first proposed that it be called "The Cardinal," but
the marketing specialists in the Biz School pointed out that if we
ever introduced a compact, the name "Stanford Junior" would be a
knockout, and I couldn't argue with that.  The beauty of the project,'
the President went on, 'is that it will eventually involve all sectors
of the university.  A number of our literary scholars, noted for their
aesthetics, have been designing the exterior.  We expect the
Engineering School to supervise production...'
	'You mean it's not fully designed yet?'
	'Well, a design was submitted by the lit people to the
philosophy department, who turned to constructing a proof that in
principle the car would work.  The trustees liked the design, except
that they added a red tile roof.  The linguists found the design ad
hoc but haven't been able to agree what to do about the problem.
Meanwhile, the philosophers are still formalizing their proof.'
	'How fascinating!' I lied.  'But isn't the vehicle a little
tall?'
	'It's built to go right over those barriers on Serra Street,
and not to bottom out on the potholes on Palm Drive.'
	'May I ask how this venture is being financed?'
	'I'm glad you asked that,' the President lied.  'It's
underwritten by the last of CSLI's funding.'
	'Don't you expect that the academic world will regard this
project with some disdain?' I asked in a moment of candor.
	'Well,' replied the President, 'In today's world you can't
just copy the competition.  Besides, when they see that this car
embodies the Stanford ideal-- clean and eclectic, high in quality and
just slightly overpriced...'

(Submitted anonymously to the Sesquipedalian.  In other words... NOT!)

                  -/-/-/ LOOK WHO'S TALKING /-/-/-

This past weekend Bonnie McElhinny presented a paper entitled 'The
Rise and Demise of a Quota-Hiring System in Pittsburgh: The Failure of
Liberal Legal Theory to Recognize Variations in Communicative
Competence.'  The paper was given in a panel on women in
nontraditional careers at 'Taking the Lead: Balancing the Educational
Equation,' a conference sponsored by Mills College and the American
Association of University Women.

                    -/-/-/ CALL FOR PAPERS /-/-/-

-- CHILD LANGUAGE RESEARCH FORUM: We are inviting papers on topics
related to child language development to be presented at the 1993
forum (April 16-18, 1993).  Paper presentations are limited to 20
minutes and will be followed by a short question period.  Abstracts
should be postmarked by January 10, 1993.  PLEASE MAIL EARLY!  No late
abstracts will be accepted.  All research must be completed (i.e., no
promissory abstracts); no papers already presented at other
conferences will be accepted; only one paper per autheor or co-author
will be accepted, although abstracts for more than one paper may be
submitted; abstracts should contain a statement of the hypothesis, a
brief account of the study performed, data and results, and a summary
of the conclusions reached.  Abstract submissions should include: 1)
Ten copies of a one-page, double-spaced abstract of the paper,
preferably in 12-point, with a title.  OMIT name and affiliation.  
2) a 3x5 card with the title of the paper and the names(s) of the
author(s), specifying any necessary AV equipment.  3) A
self-addressed, stamped postcard if you wish to be notified of the
receipt of your abstract.  Send abstracts to
	SCLRF-93
	Department of Linguistics, Building 100
	Stanford, CA 94305-2150 USA
	phone: 415/723-4284
	fax: 415/723-1442
We are also soliciting brief resumes of current research on child
language from all researchers, regardless of whether they plan to
attend the forum, and regardless of whether they have submitted
abstracts for presentation.  These resumes should not exceed 200
words; they will be reproduced for distribution at the Forum.  If you
are submitting an abstract, please submit resume at the same time.
Resumes should be postmarked by January 10, 1993.

-- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PSYCHOLOGY OF LANGUAGE AND
COMMUNICATION (University of Glasgow): Invitations are extended for
individual papers (30 minutes including questions) or proposals for
symposia (3 hours).  Deadline for submissions is February 1, 1993.
Titles and abstracts (2 pages, 2 copies) to
	Language Conference Team
	Department of Psychology, University of Glasgow
	Glasgow G12 8RT SCOTLAND, UK
	phone: 041/330-4058
	fax: 041/339-8889
	susan@psy.glasgow.ac.uk
Symposia currently include: language disorders, on-line speech
processing, on-line studies of reading, dialogue, psychological
semantics, second language acquisition/bilingualism.

-- EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS: The European
Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics will hold its
sixth conference in Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 21-23 1993.
Papers are invited on all aspects of computational linguistics.
Authors should submit an extended abstract of no more than 5 pages A4.
The first page should include the title, the name(s) of the author(s),
complete address(es) including e-mail, a specification of the topic
area, and an indication of whether the paper addresses one of the two
thematic subjects.  Electronic submission is encouraged using standard
(!) LaTeX or plain ASCII.  Deadline for submission is December 1 1992.
	EACL93 Organizing Committee
	OTS, Trans 10
	NL-3512 JK Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS
	phone: 31/30-536377
	fax: 31/30-536000
	email: eacl93@let.ruu.nl

-- NACAL 21: The twenty-first North American Conference on Afroasiatic
Linguistics (April 16-18, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
invites papers on any linguistic subject relevant to the Afroasiatic
group.  Papers will be limited to 20-25 minutes with 10 minutes for
discussion.  Group submissions for panels on particular topics of
cross-language interests are welcome, as are cross-disciplinary panels
within a language.  Please mail your abstract no later than January
10, 1993 as follows: Three copies of an abstract, which may be only a
half page in length.  At least one of the copies should be of
photocopy quality for inclusion in the pre-conference booklet; $12,
payable to Robert Fradkin, for registration and additional mailings,
including the booklet of abstracts; a completed registration form,
even if you are not submitting a paper proposal.  Mail to
	Robert Fradkin
	Department of Foreign Languages
	Old Dominion University
	Norfolk, VA 23529-0085
	phone: 804/683-3981
	fax: 804/683-3241

-- SCIL-5: The Fifth Student Conference in Linguistics (April 15-17)
is accepting abstracts in all areas of linguistics.  Abstracts must be
received by Friday, December 18, 1992.  Abstracts will be accepted by
e-mail or post.  Send e-mail abstracts to 'scil5@u.washington.edu'.
Send posted abstracts to
	SCIL-5 Conference Committee
	Department of Linguistics, GN-40
	University of Washington 
	Seattle, WA 98195
All abstracts should be one page in length and contain the following
information (on a separate card for posted abstracts): your name,
title of your paper, your affiliation, your addresses, and a daytime
phone number.  Papers should be appropriate for a 30-minute
presentation period, and will be followed by a 10-minute
question/answer period.  All accepted papers will be published in a
special volume of the MIT working papers in linguistics.

-- BEYOND ACQUISITION: The Georgetown University Roundtable on
Languages & Linguistics invites papers for their pre-session: 'Beyond
Acquisition: Language Practices of Older Children' (March 10, 1993).
This session will explore the ways that those in this age group
construct their social worlds through linguistic interaction in a
variety of natural settings, addressing such theoretical and
methodological issues as: What is distinctive about the language of
this population?  What are appropriate models for investigaating the
language of this age group (e.g., language contact, flawed adult
model, interlanguage model)?  Does this population constitute a
'group?'  What are barriers to investigation of this population?
20-minute papers are solicited on these or any related topics.  Send
1-page abstract by January 15, 1993 to
	Susan Hoyle
	Department of Linguistics
	Georgetown University
	Washington, DC 20057
	email: s_hoyle@guvax.georgetown.edu
	(electronic submissions encouraged)

Abstracts are also invited for individual papers to be part of a
one-day multidisciplinary pre-conference session on Discourse Analysis
(written texts), March 9, 1993.  Papers investigating issues of
intertextuality, the ways in which relations are established and
maintained between written texts and how these are used by the reader
to (re)construct a (the writer's?) meaning, are especially encouraged,
but papers taking a discourse-level approach to any aspect of written
texts or to the comparison of written and spoken texts are welcome.
	Heidi E. Hamilton
	Department of Linguistics 
	ICC 453
	Georgetown University
	Washington, DC 20057-1068
	phone: 202/687-6226
	email: hhamilton@guvax.georgetown.edu
Deadline: January 15, 1993

		-/-/-/ LINGUISTICS COLLOQUIUM /-/-/-

Judith Aissen of the University of California, Santa Cruz, presents
this week's colloquium:

		      Indefinite WH in Tzotzil

Tzotzil lacks words corresponding to English 'someone,' 'something,'
'no one,' 'anyone,' etc., i.e. the so-called 'indefinite pronouns,'
using instead words which function elsewhere as interrogative pronouns
to express these meanings.  In this respect, Tzotzil is like Japanese
and Chinese, and languages in which the same words can be used
alternately as interrogatives or indefinites.  Nishigauchi (1992)
proposes that in Japanese, these expressions all move to the same
position at LF, the relevant difference between the interrogative and
indefinite readingsresiding in the element which binds the WH
expression.  In Tzotzil, however, WH expressions, whether understood
as interrogatives or indefinites, must move to non-argument positions
in the SYNTAX, making available certain kinds of evidence about their
syntax which is unavailable in Japanese or Chinese.  In Tzotzil, it is
clear that the syntax associated with the indefinite interpretation is
different in important ways from that of the interrogative
interpretation, starting with the fact that the surface position of WH
is different in the two cases.  After sketching an approach to the
semantics of these quantificationally-underspecified WH elements, this
paper will focus on the syntax of indefinite WH in Tzotzil,
contrasting it with that of interrogative WH.

(Next colloq: November 6.  Smita Joshi, Dissertation Proposal)

PHONOLOGY WORKSHOP: Chris Golston presents tonight's phonology
workshop, 7:30 pm in Ventura 17.  'Tone Sandhi and the OCP in Ancient
Greek.'  

		    -/-/-/ WORD OF THE WEEK /-/-/-

This week, we feature not a word but a phrase: 'garden variety.'
Linguists agree that if you want to sound intelligent, insert the
phrase 'garden variety' into your discourse any time you are
explaining something to achieve maximum effect (as in, '"Garden
Variety" is one of your vanilla-type catch-phrases for trying to sound
intelligent.') 

		 -/-/-/ GRANTS/ASSISTANTSHIPS /-/-/-

-- DuBOIS-MEANDELA-RODNEY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM: The Center for
Afroamerican and African studies at the University of Michigan offers
support of scholars of high ability engaged in postdoctoral work on
the Afro-American, African, and Caribbean experiences of men and women
of color.  The program theme for 1993-94 is 'Figurations of Slavery in
Afro-American Literature.'  Scholars whose work investigates
Afro-American representations of slavery, from antebellum slave
narratives to its depiction in contemporary novels, are encouraged to
apply.  The fellowship is one year at a stipend of $30,000.  Fellows
will be expected to conduct a CAAS work-in-progress seminar on their
research during one of their semesters in residence.  Candidates must
have a Ph.D. in hand and be no more than ten years beyond the
completion of their degree.  CV, three letters direct from referees,
research prospectus and schedule of completion, and a writing sample
should be received by January 15, 1993 at
	Fellowship Office 
	Center for Afroamerican and African Studies
	200 West Engineering Building
	University of Michigan
	Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1092
	phone: 313/764-9510

SPENCER FOUNDATION DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS: The Spencer Foundation
seeks to encourage a new generation of scholars from a variety of
fields to undertake research relevant to the improvement of education.
Applicants must be candidates for the doctoral degree in any field of
study at a graduate school in the United States.  All pre-dissertation
requirements must be completed by June 1, 1993.  Approximately 30
non-renewable fellowships of $15,000 each will be awarded to complete
the dissertation.  Applications must be postmarked by November 12,
1992.  For further information, please write to
	Spencer Dissertation Fellowships
	The Spencer Foundation
	900 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2800
	Chicago, IL 60611-1542
	phone: 312/337-7000

RESEARCH ASSISTANT NEEDED: Research assistant needed for work in
speech recognition, speech understanding, and prosody.  Strength in
experimental design and interest in speech and language necessary.
Computer literacy required; some shell programming useful, but not
required.  Research involves running experiments involving human
subjects using a state-of-the-art speech understanding system,
analyzing the results, writing papers.  10-20 hours per weeks
(negotiable), full-time in summer possible.  Please contact
	Patti Price
	pprice@speech.sri.com

-- POSTDOCTORAL TRAINEESHIPS AVAILABLE IN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER: We are awarding three NIMH traineeships for
one year (with the possibility of an additional year) of postdoctoral
work for those desiring new or supplemental training in developmental
psychology.  Specific areas of training include perceptual and
cognitive development, skill acquisition, social and emotional
development, and applied developmental.  Awardees may anticipate
starting on September 1, 1993.  Applicants must specify (in three
pages or less) their training goals including the match between their
research objectives and ongoing research programs in the department.
A brochure specifying faculty research interests should be consulted
before applying (please call Stacie Trexel at 303/871-2041 to obtain
this brochure).  Applicants should send a vita plus four letters of
reference to 
	Dr. Susan Harter, Head
	Postdoctoral Training Program
	Department of Psychology
	University of Denver
	Denver, CO 80208
Receipt of materials is highly desireable by December 1, 1992.

       	    -/-/-/ LETTERS FROM TYROLEAN LANDLORDS /-/-/-

(From G. Hoffnung at the Oxford Union)

I have here some letters written in answer to holiday enquiries which
we wrote to the Dolomites, and we received some replies in English
from Tyrolean landlords:

	'We have ample garage accomodation for your char.'

	'In the close village you can buy jolly memorials for
	 when you pass away.'

	'I send you my prizes.  If I am dear to you and your 
	 mistress you might perhaps be reduced.  We are also noted
	 for having children.'

	'Dear Madam, I am honourable to accept your impossible 
	 request.  Unhappy it is I here have not bedroom with bath-- 
	 a bathroom with bed I have.  I can, though, give you a 
	 washing with pleasure in a most clean spring with no
	 person to see.  I insist that you will like this.'

	'Honoured, I am amazing diverted by your entreaty for a room.
	 I can offer you a commodious chamber with balcony imminent
	 to the romantic gorge and I hope that you want to drop in.
	 A vivacious stream washes my doorsteps so do not concern 
	 yourself that I am not too good in bath.  I am superb in bed.
	 Sorrowfully I cannot abide your auto.'

	'Having freshly taken over the proprietary of this notorious
	 house, I am wishful that you remove to me your esteemed
	 costume.  Standing among savage scenery the hotel offers
	 stupendous revalations.  There is a French window in
	 every bedroom affording delightful prospects.  I give
	 personal looks to the interior wants of each guest.  Here
	 you shall be well fed up and agreeably drunk.  Our charges
	 for weekly visitors are scarcely creditable.  Peculiar 
	 arrangements for gross parties.  Our motto is "Ever serve
	 you right!"'

 		  -/-/-/ JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS /-/-/-

(A NOTE ON REDUNDANCY: Don't forget to check the jobs-binder in the
Greenberg Room (linguistics office) for fuller descriptions of these
and other jobs.  Even more jobs are found in the file 'jobslist.txt'
on the /linguistics directory.)

-- The Department of African and Asian Languages and Literatures has
been authorized to undertake a search at the assistant professor level
for a linguistics Ph.D. with concentration in the Hebrew language.
The position will become effective in August, 1993.  Minimum
requirements as follows: Ph.D. in hand at time of applicaiton, or
concrete evidence that it will be in hand at time of appointment;
native or near-native fluency in modern Hebrew; interest in teaching
Hebrew at all levels essential; experience desireable.  Program
information will be sent to all prospective applicants upon request.
Deadline for application: January 15, 1993.  Send applications to
	Chair, Hebrew Search
	Department of African and Asian Languages and Literatures
	470 Grinter Hall
	University of Florida
	Gainesville, FL 32611-2037
	phone: 904/392-4829
	fax: 904/392-1443

-- University of Florida: French Linguistics Asst. or junior associate
Professor of French.  Tenure-track, Ph.D. in hand, near-native or
native fluency.  Possible areas of specialization: Applied Linguistics
(including SLA), semantics, discourse, syntax or phonology.  Ability
to contribute to graduate programs in RLL and general linguistics,
appointment as Coordinator of Beginning French Language program
expected at the end of the first year.  Submit evidence of research
and effective teaching.  Application deadline: November 10.  Send
nomination(s) or letter of application and complete dossier, including
three current letters of recommendation to
	Jean Casagrande, Chair
	French Search Committee
	Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
	170 Dauer
	Gainesville, FL 32611
	phone: 904/392-0639

Also Assistant Professor of Italian (pending release).  Tenure track,
Ph.D. in hand, native or near-native language fluency.  Area of
specialization: Modern Italian Literature and Culture or Italian
Linguistics.  Applicants should document their research potential or
publication record, excellence in teaching, activities in professional
organizations, and any other appropriate academic activities.
Application deadline: November 17, 1992, to 
	Randal Johnson, Chair
	Italian Search Committee
	Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
	170 Dauer
	Gainesville, FL 32611
	phone: 904/392-2423 or 392-2017

-- UNIVERSITY OF DENVER: The Department of Psychology anticipates
three tenure-track positions at the Assistant Professor level to begin
Fall 1993.  Although the primary requirement for these positions is
excellence in research and teaching, preference will be given to (a)
child clinical psychologists, (b) cognitive psychologists, (c)
developmental psychologists with interests in social-emotional
development, psychopathology, or social cognition, and (d) cognitive
neuroscientists with a developmental or clinical orientation.  Send
letter of interest, vita, at least three letters of recommendation,
and reprints/preprints to 
	Chair, Faculty Search Committee
	Department of Psychology
	University of Denver
	Denver, CO 80208
EOE/AA

(A NOTE ON REDUNDANCY: Don't forget to check the jobs-binder in the
Greenberg Room (linguistics office) for fuller descriptions of these
and other jobs.  Even more jobs are found in the file 'jobslist.txt'
on the /linguistics directory.)

		      -/-/-/ INSTA-PRIZE /-/-/-

An anonymous caller knew that Fafnir preferred tomatoes to avocados,
but the prize remains unclaimed.  This week there are two chances to
win: 

1) What work of literature opens with the line, 'What's it going to be
then, eh?'
2) Which Shark is leading the team in minutes-spent-in-penalty-box?

First correct answer to either question wins... prize must be claimed
before next issue...

 		      -/-/-/ FINAL SCORE /-/-/-

No scores worth reporting this week... The Sharks were handed their
ninth straight loss by the Detroit Redwings last night (4-3).  Let's
face it, that tiebreaking goal was a gift from God...

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  		   -/-/-/ CONSERVE DISK SPACE /-/-/-

So you may delete your copy after you've read it (or better yet,
before you've read it), the Sesquipedalian Weekly Herald is stored
online both at Stanford (in directory /user/linguistics/Sesquip), and
at Berkeley (in the directory /usr/pub.)  The most current issue of
the Herald can be found by typing 'help quip'.

	'We should develop anti-satellite weapons because we could not
	 have prevailed without them in "Red Storm Rising."'

	'One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice 
	 president, and that word is "to be prepared."'

	'If we do not succeed, then we run the risk of failure.'
	
	'I want to be Robin to Bush's Batman.'

			--Vice President Dan Quayle

      	DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, FORGET TO VOTE NEXT WEEK.

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