Theoretical & typological linguistics

español
My theoretical work focuses on functional syntax and the syntax-discourse interface. I have published and given talks on the syntactic encoding of semantic participants, the argument/adjunct distinction, the typology of ditransitive constructions, valence-changing mechanisms, the pragmatics of constituency order alternations, and strategies for expressing focus of assertion in spontaneous speech, among others. My (2009) article, a corpus-based study, found that Kokama has constructions that clearly distinguish focus subtypes according to scope (narrow/broad) and contrastive/non-contrastive information. This bears on theories about whether contrast simply emerges from conversational implicature, or whether it can be explicitly coded by dedicated grammar. My (2010) article explores ditransitive constructions. An examination of Kokama texts found that semantically three-place predicates are syntactically encoded by means of transitive clauses; this adds to the literature that questions constructions with two objects as a basic argument structure pattern. In a forthcoming article, an examination of valence-increasing morphemes in Kokama confirms the prediction that derived valence patterns do not have more syntactic arguments that the maximum number allowed by non-derived valence patterns.

Currently, I am investigating information structure factors and their morphosyntactic correlates in two typologically distinct Amazonian languages. This analysis is within the context of three broader questions: (i) How do languages vary in the means they use to encode information structure factors and what are the bounds on that variation? (ii) How much of sentence-level grammar is sensitive to discourse variables and context dynamics? (iii) What is the role of IS factors in non-finite clauses?

Publications

2010.    Is there a Ditransitive Construction in Kokama-Kokamilla? Studies in Language 34.1: 75–107. (abstract, volume)
2009.    The focus function(s) of =pura in Kokama-Kokamilla discourse. International Journal of American Linguistics. 75.3:399-432. (abstract, article).
To appear. Valence changing mechanisms in Kokama-Kokamilla.
Submitted. Reference constraints and information structure management in Kokama purpose clauses.
In prep. Morphosyntactic variation in Peruvian Amazonian Spanish: effects of place and attention to speech..
2006    Fonología de la variedad Kukamiria del río Huallaga (content). Programa de Formación de Maestros Bilingues de la Amazonía Peruana, Serie: Fonología, Iquitos, Peru.
2005.    Entre flexión y derivación: Examinando algunos morfemas en Kukama-Kukamiria (Cocama-Cocamilla). Proceedings of the Conference on Indigenous Languages of Latin America II, University   of Texas at Austin,
2004    Basic Clauses in Kokama-Kokamilla (abstract). M. A. Thesis University of Oregon.
2000.    El sistema de Casos en la Lengua Cocama: Variedad Cocamilla. Tesis de Licenciatura. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.
2000.    Morfemas Funcionales en Cocama-Cocamilla. In: Miranda Esquerre, Luis (Ed). Actas del I Congreso de Lenguas Amerindias de Sudamérica. Universidad Ricardo Palma. Lima, Peru.

Conference presentations

2012. When fear meets probability: epistemic apprehensive modality in Kokama. To be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas - SSILA. Portland, OR. January 5-8.
2011. The adjunct status of recipients and beneficiaries in Kokama. To be presented at the workshop on The Argument/Adjunct Distinction Cross-linguistically. 44th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea. Logroņo, Spain, September 08-11.
2011. (Non)-contrastive focus constructions in Kokama-Kokamilla discourse. Presented at the Workshop in Information Structure and Subordination: South America and Beyond. Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, April 27-28.
2011. On the Creoleness of Kokama-Kokamilla. Presented at Europe Beyond Europe: New Horizons on Pidgins and Creoles. Pavia, Italy, April 18-22.
2011      Voice and the polyfunctionality of Kokama -ka. Presented the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas - SSILA. Pittsburgh, PA. January 6-9.
2010a    Causative and Applicative in Kokama-Kokamilla. To be presented at: Syntax of the World's Languages IV, Lyon, France. September 21-28.
2010b    Estrategias de incremento de Valencia en Kukama-Kukamiria (Cocama-Cocamilla). Presented at Amazonicas III, Bogota, Colombia. April 19-24.
2010c    The syntactic encoding of recipients in Kokama-Kokamilla discourse. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas - SSILA. Baltimore, MD. January 7-10.
2009    Discussing ditransitive constructions in Kokama-Kokamilla. Presented at the Workshop on the Structure and Constituency of the Languages of the Americas -WSCLA 14, Purdue University, Indiana, April 2-5.
2009    Documenting Kokama-Kokamilla: and endangered language of the Amazon. Presented at the Conference on Endangered Languages and Cultures of Native America, CELCNA 5, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, March 27-29.
2008    Focus in Kokama-Kokamilla. Presented at the Linguistics Colloquium, University of Oregon, February 29.
2008    Focus constructions in Kokama-Kokamilla discourse. Accepted at the Syntax of the World's Languages III, Free University of Berlin, September 25-28.
2007    Tiempo, aspeto y orden de constituyentes en el discurso Kukama-Kukamiria (Cocama-Cocamilla). Presented at the Conference on Indigenous Languages of Latin America III, University of Texas at Austin, October 25-27.
2005    Conditioning selection of pronominal forms in Kokama-Kokamilla: The role of syntax and information structure. Presented at the Workshop on American Indigenous Languages, University of California in Santa Barbara, April 22-23.
2000    Cláusulas adverbiales en Cocama-Cocamilla. Presented at the III Congreso de Lenguas Amerindias, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Lima, Peru.
1999    Morfemas Funcionales en Cocama-Cocamilla. Presented at the I Congreso de Lenguas Amerindias, Universidad Ricardo Palma. Lima-Peru, August 4-9.