Joint-Seminar on "Linguistic perspectives on the history of Southeast Asia: Rethinking the potential of historical linguistics within Area Studies"
This is an announcement of joint seminar of Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Hakubi Project, Kyoto University on "Linguistic perspectives on the history of Southeast Asia:Rethinking the potential of historical linguistics within Area Studies".
We hope that you will be able to join us at this seminar.
Date: Feburuary 24, 2012 (Fri.) 9:30-18:00
Venue: iCeMS complex1 2F, Yoshida Campus, Kyoto University
http://www.icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp/e/direction.html
Program: PDF
(1)Speaker: Dr. James Matisoff, University of California, Berkeley
Title: "The present state of Sino-Tibetan studies: Progress and outstanding issues"
(2)Speaker: Dr. Gerard Diffloth Ecole Francaise d'extreme-orient, Siem Reap
Title: "Higher grouping in the Austroasiatic family and its historical implications"
(3)Speaker: Dr. James Chamberlain, Mahasarakham University
Title: "Comparative Tai-Kadai, proto-zoology and regional history"
(4)Speaker: Dr. Alexander Adelaar, University of Melbourne
Title: "Austronesian subgrouping and migrations, with special reference to Malagasy"
(5)Speaker: Dr.Weera Ostapirat, Mahidol University
Title: "The Comparative Method and its linguistic implications for the history and prehistory of Southeast Asia"
Abstract:
Historical linguistics is the study of language change, and provides a dynamic perspective on social change and cultural interaction over time. Languages themselves can be analyzed as "historical documents."
Historical linguists use both written records and spoken language to identify patterns of linguistic change, reconstruct the pre-history of languages, and establish relationships between languages. In doing this, historical linguistics has contributed to our understanding of ethnicity, population migrations, historical homelands and the nature and timing of cultural development and exchange.
Speakers of five major linguistic families - Sino-Tibetan, Austronesian, Austroasiatic, Tai-Kadai, and Hmong-Mien - have been moving and interacting through the region to produce the social mosaics in which Southeast Asianists currently work. This symposium brings together five preeminent scholars of historical linguistics in the Southeast Asian region. The group represents a deep base of knowledge spanning the major language families of the region, along with a range of perspectives on the application of historical linguistics to understanding the Southeast Asian region. This is a rare opportunity to interact with some of the leaders in this field, and a valuable chance to explore the potential synergies between historical linguistics and area studies.
