Monthly Archives: February 2012

Sino-Kwa project: two talks on 2nd March

The Leiden-UvA Sino-Kwa project is happy to announce two talks on the topic of analytic/isolating languages, by Prof. Alain Peyraube (CRLAO, CNRS-EHESS, Paris) and Prof. Nigel Duffield (The University of Sheffield).
 
Date and time:     Friday, March 2nd 2012, 13:30-15:30
Venue:                Leiden University, Faculty of Humanities, Matthias de Vrieshof 2, room 001
Language:           English
 
All are welcome. For any questions, please contact d.j.j.van.esch@hum.leidenuniv.nl. The organisers hope to see you there!
 
"Has Chinese changed from a synthetic language into an analytic language or vice versa?"
by Prof. Alain Peyraube (CRLAO, CNRS-EHESS, Paris)
 
The terms ‘analytic’ and ‘synthetic’ should be used in a relative rather than absolute sense. For example, languages like English are less inflectional, and thus more analytic than most of the other Indo-European languages.
Chinese is said to be an isolating language and consequently an analytic language, i.e. a language that conveys grammatical relationships syntactically, via the use of words or free morphemes. It does not possess bound morphemes, such as inflectional prefixes, suffixes or infixes. However, it is also claimed that Archaic Chinese (11th-2nd c. BCE), and especially Late Archaic – the Classical Chinese par excellence (5th – 2nd c. BCE) – had an inflectional morphology, and not just derivational affixes.
 
With this idea of degrees of analyticity and syntheticity in mind, some scholars have hypothesized that Classical Chinese has been moving from less analyticity to more analyticity between Archaic and Medieval Chinese (5th – 14th c. AD), and from more syntheticity to less syntheticity from Medieval to Modern Chinese (14th – 18th c. AD) and then on to Contemporary Chinese (from 18th c. on).
 
This hypothesis will be discussed in the paper and it will be shown that this cyclic change is far from being well-founded.
 
"Unpeeling an onion: what Vietnamese tells us about the lexicon-syntax interface"
by Prof. Nigel Duffield (The University of Sheffield)
Among isolating languages, Vietnamese is relatively unusual in having at its disposal a large inventory of functional (grammatical) vocabulary: elements that carry semantic information with respect to tense, ‘Outer’ and ‘Inner’ Aspect, mood, illocutionary force, and—what is termed here—assertion. Given that it is also a rigidly head-initial language with very little uninterpreted syntactic movement, the distribution and interpretation of these elements relative to each other and to the thematic verb-phrase (vP) provides a fairly direct ‘cartography’ of the functional syntax of Vietnamese (and—it may be argued—of other languages, such as English or Dutch, in which this phrasal architecture is obscured by the effects of head-movement). In this paper, I shall discuss the significance of Vietnamese for a layered approach to syntactic representation, focussing on Tense, Assertion, Negation and the representation of events (Event Structure). First, I present some basic distributional facts previously discussed in Duffield (2007, in press) to show that the syntactic features determining emphasis in both affirmative and negative sentences in Vietnamese are realized in a relatively low position in the clausal syntax, immediately above the maximal thematic verb-phrase (‘Low Modality’). It will then be argued that this position is directly event-related, associated with an ‘event variable’ in the sense of Davidson (1967), Pustejovsky (1995). Next, I shall argue on the basis of constraints on Yes-No questions that syntactic features associated with affirmative emphasis in Vietnamese are necessarily projected lower than—and independently of—the functional projection that hosts sentential negation: that is to say, the claim will be that affirmative emphasis is a special case of assertion, rather than the polar opposite of negation (cf. Laka 1990). Finally, I shall review some of the distributional differences between English and Vietnamese in declarative clauses: resurrecting earlier generative analyses—in particular that of Chomsky (1957)—I offer some speculative suggestions for a uniform approach to finiteness and emphasis in the two languages.

Chinese filmladder 24 feb-2 mrt

in de bioscoop:

op de televisie:

za 25 NGeo 22.00-23.00 uur LOST IN CHINA

za 25 Canvas 23.40-01.25 uur JADE WARRIOR, r: Antti-Jussi Annila, Fin/Nl/China/Est 2006, kungfu fantasy, met o.a. Zhang Jingchu 

zo 26 Ned 2 00.20-02.30 uur SUMMER PALACE (Yiheyuan), r: Lou Ye, China/Fr 2006, speelfilm (NB = nacht za/zo)

ma 27 NGeo 09.00-10.00 uur LOST IN CHINA

di 28 Ned 2 23.00-00.00 uur Close up: LANG LANG – PIANO SUPERSTAR (docu)

wo 29 Arte 20.25-21.40 uur SPARROW (Mqaue), r: Johnnie To, HK 2008, speelfilm met o.a. Kelly Lin en Kenneth Cheung

do 1 mrt Veronica 20.30-22.40 uur SHANGHAI NOON, r: Tom Dey, VS 2000, actiekomedie met o.a. Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson en Lucy Liu

 

Chinese filmladder 17-24 gebruari

in de bioscoop:

op de televisie:

zo 19 Ned 2 00.20-01.45 uur TUYA’S MARRIAGE (Tuya de hunshi), r: Wang Quanan, China 2006 (speelfilm)

zo 19 DisC 07.15-08.05 uur Man made marvels Asia: TAIPEI 101

ma 20 Arte 08.00-08.25 uur PEKING, Die Vergangenheit ist passé

di 21 Arte 08.00-08.25 uur PEKING, Leben im Freien

wo 22 Arte 08.00-08.25 uur PEKING, Eine internationale Metropole

do 23 Arte 08.00-08.25 uur PEKING, Die Kulturszene

do 23 Arte 16.35-17.30 uur CHINA – SHAKESPEARE AUSWENDIG! over een school in een bergdorp in China, waar alles nog uit het hoofd moet worden geleerd

do 23 Veronica 20.30-22.15 uur (beetje Chinees vanwege de regisseur) BELLY OF THE BEAST, r: Ching Siu-Tung, Canada/HK/GB 2003, actiefilm met o.a. Steven Seagal

vr 24 Arte 08.00-08.25 uur PEKING, Peking privat

digitaal en internet

Gesschiedenis 24:

Nederlanders overzee: afl. BARBAREN IN DE CHINESE ZEE, vr 17 18.00 uur

Why we fight: afl. THE BATTLE OF CHINA, vr 21.25 uur

in het kader van het IFFR: drie documentaires van Ai Weiwei online te bekijken via:  <http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL78CA16D28C0F5DFF> A selection of works directed by Ai Weiwei, screened at the International Fim Festival Rotterdam 2012.

CHINA
SEMINAR | 22 February 2010 | Shen Yang and Christoph Harbsmeier

 

 (there will be a short break in the middle should you wish to attend only one talk)

 

China Seminar Logo   LIAS logo  

 


Professor Shen Yang

(Beijing University)

“FP功能投射与“V+P(到/在)NPL结构的句法构造

 

Date and
time
:  Wednesday, 22 February, 15.00h – 16.00h
Venue:  Arsenaal building,
room 014
Language:  Chinese
Speaker:  Shen Yang (Beijing
University)
Expertise现代汉语句法学、语义学
Abstract:
本文全面观察了现代汉语“V+P(到/在)NP”结构有多种形式变化和复杂语义差异,并试图找出结构中VP层动词的“位移特征”及结构中PP层介词“到、在”的“投射机制”对此的共同制约条件,即谓语动词的位移特征强弱可以诱发介词“到、在”不同终点义的投射。文章也讨论了汉语“位移终点”结构的类型归属,认为汉语这类结构介于动词型“位移终点”结构(V型)和介词型“位移终点”结构(S型)之间。同时本文还认为非“位移终点”类“V+P(在)NP”结构中动词后的“在NP”并没有FP层,只是动词前附加性PP结构的一种特殊表现。

Speaker’s resume:
北京大学博士,香港城市大学博士后。

现任北京大学人文特聘教授,北京大学中文系教授,北京大学中文系副主任。

曾任美国哈佛大学、香港中文大学、香港理工大学、台湾中央研究院访问学者。

2012年荷兰莱顿大学和荷兰亚洲国际研究院(IIAS)访问学者。

E-mailsyshen@pku.edu.cn

 

Professor Christoph
Harbsmeier

(University of Oslo)

“Anaphora,
cataphora and exophora in Classical Chinese”

 

Date and
time
:  Wednesday, 22 February, 16.00h – 17.00h
Venue:  Arsenaal building,
room 014
Language:  English
Speaker:   Christoph Harbsmeier
(University of Oslo)
Expertise:  Chinese Linguistics
Abstract:
Co-reference relations between pronouns (including zero-pronouns) and
their antecedents have been extensively studied in general linguistics. The
case of Modern Chinese has drawn much general linguistic attention in this
connection. The case of anaphora in classical Chinese, which is radically
different from the case of Modern Chinese, is barely mentioned even in specific
discussions of the Chinese language.

The subtle connections of
zero-anaphora with the rhetorical device of the
zeugma are
obvious, and they certainly have not so far received any of the detailed
linguistic as well as stylistic attention they deserve.

The present paper will present an
exploratory survey of nominal, verbal as well as sentential anaphora based
mainly on Early Warring state sources.


Speaker’s resume:
Christoph Harbsmeier is a professor of Chinese in the University
of Oslo, and also an adjunct professor
of Chinese in Peking Unversity, Fudan Unversity, Wuhan
University, Zhejiang University, East China Normal University,
Xinjiang University as well as Shanghai Normal
Unviversity. His books include Wilhelm von Humholdt and the Philosophical
Grammar of Chinese (in German) (1978), Aspects of Classical Chinese Grammar
(1981), and vol. 7.1 of Science and Civilisation in China, Language and Logic. (1998). He is the editor in chief of Thesaurus
Linguae Sericae (url: http://tls.uni-hd.de/).

E-mailChristoph.harbsmeier@ikos.uio.no


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and

lectures at Leiden University,
please visit the blog at

http://chinaleiden.weblog.leidenuniv.nl/

or contact the organizer: Tineke D’Haeseleer

(t.m.v.dhaeseleer@hum.leidenuniv.nl)

 

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Chinese filmladder 10-17 februari

in de bioscoop:

op de televisie:

za 11 Arte 19.30-20.15 uur CHINA, IM REICH DER MUSUO-FRAUEN

za 11 Canvas 23.45-01.20 uur TUYA’S MARRIAGE (Tuya de hunshi), r: Wang Quanan, China 2006 (speelfilm)

ma 13 Arte 17.20-1745 uur PEKING, Die Vergangenheit ist passé

di 14 Arte 17.20-1745 uur PEKING, Leben im Freien

wo 15 Arte 17.20-1745 uur PEKING, Eine internationale Metropole

do 16 Arte 17.20-1745 uur PEKING, Die Kulturszene

vr 17 Arte 17.20-1745 uur PEKING, Peking privat

digitaal en internet

Gesschiedenis 24:

Nederlanders overzee: afl. BARBAREN IN DE CHINESE ZEE, zo 12 18.00 uur; wo 15 21.00 uur; vr 17 18.00 uur

Why we fight: afl. THE BATTLE OF CHINA, z0 12 21.25 uur; di 14 18.25 uur; vr 21.25 uur

in het kader van het IFFR: drie documentaires van Ai Weiwei online te bekijken via:  <http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL78CA16D28C0F5DFF> A selection of works directed by Ai Weiwei, screened at the International Fim Festival Rotterdam 2012.

China Seminar: 15 February

CHINA SEMINAR | 15 FEBRUARY 2011 | Eva Ströber | The Story of a Ewer in the Shape of A Crayfish 

china seminar

lias

  The Story of a Ewer in the Shape of A Crayfish Speaker:  Dr. Eva Ströber (Curator Asian Ceramics, Museum Princessehof)
Expertise
:  Chinese art history, Asian ceramics

Date and time:  Wednesday, 15 February, 15.15 – 17.00h
Venue
:  Arsenaal building, room 014
Language:  English
Abstract:
Kilns in Southern China produced in the 16th century a not very spectacular kind of stoneware: small dishes and boxes, little ewers, sometimes animal shaped, glazed in yellow, green and brown. A special shape we would call rather bizarre is a ewer in the shape of a crayfish.
The topic of my talk will be the crayfish ewer and globalisation. Was it produced for a special market?  What were the reasons it was collected, and who were the collectors? What were the function and the meaning of this small vessel in different times and contexts? The story will cover some 400 years and very different cultures in East and West.

Speaker’s resume:
Eva Stroeber read Chinese Studies, East Asian art history, philosophy and comparative religion in Germany and Taiwan, and received her PhD on late Qing Buddhism. After years of teaching and travelling she worked as curator for East Asian porcelain at the Porcelain Collection, Dresden, Germany. Presently she is curator for Asian ceramics at the Ceramic Museum het Princessehof, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.
 Stroeber has written numerous articles, books and exhibition catalogues on East Asian art, some together with Lukas Kraemer. The range of publications include the catalogue of the Dresden collection La Maladie de porcelain … East Asian Porcelain in the Collection of Augustus the Strong (Leipzig 2001), and Ostasiatika. Sammlungskataloge des Herzog Anton Ulrich Museums Braunschweig (Braunschweig 2002). Her new book Symbols on Chinese Porcelain. 10.000 x Happiness (0Stuttgart 2011) explores the hidden meanings of Chinese ceramics designs in the context of Chinese cultural history, introducing the rich and varied collection of the Princessehof Museum.

E-maile.stroeber@princessehof.nl
Website:   www.princessehof.nl

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Subscribers to the RSS feed of the China Seminar blog  receive an abstract of each talk one week in advance.For more information about China-related activities and lectures at Leiden University, please visit the blog at http://chinaleiden.weblog.leidenuniv.nl/ or contact the organizer: Tineke D’Haeseleer(t.m.v.dhaeseleer@hum.leidenuniv.nl) To subscribe to e-mail notifications instead of an RSS feed,please go tohttp://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=ChinaLeidenList,enter your e-mail address, and confirm your subscription.


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