Spring 2024 Colloquium - Jaime Pérez González - Are Ideophones Essential to the Mocho’ Grammar?

Abstract: This presentation will address the lack of ideophones in the current linguistic descriptions of Mocho’, a highly endangered Mayan language spoken in Chiapas, Mexico. Most Mayan languages have a lexical class known as “affective” words (Kaufman 1971). This class can belong to a root class and/or a derived type of predicate (Polian 2017). Pérez González (2013) have shown in Tseltal that affective words can be divided into two different lexical classes, and that each class can have their own set of roots, and therefore they belong to two different types of predicates: ideophonic and expressive predicates. Although, Mocho’ belongs to the Mayan stock, the linguistic descriptions do not mention the existence of any “affective” word class (Palosaari 2011, Kaufman 1967). In this study, looking at semi-spontaneous speech, I will argue for the existence of these affective words in Mocho’, and that they are crucial components of the grammar. This will also evidence that one’s methodological approach to an unknown language is always fundamental to achieve a thrustful descriptive work. Finally, I will refer that this language plight sheds light into language shift but also into how lexical classes can be simplified either by the influence of the imperial language or by the lack of usage in the everyday context of the language.

Event Logistics: 2pm on Zoom on April 22nd. [The talk will also be projected in-person in Kerr 273].

Speaker Biography: Dr. Jaime Pérez González is an Assistant Professor of Linguistics at UC Santa Barbara.