Yuko Otsuka
yotsuka@hawaii.edu
(808)956-5985
Moore 582
Research
My main research interests are syntactic theory (the
Minimalist
Program in particular) and Polynesian languages. The focus of my work
has been ergativity in Tongan. Recently, I have also been interested in
language planning in Tonga.
Teaching
I teach courses in the areas of syntactic theory (GB and MP
in particular),
morphology, and Polynesian languages.
- Linguistics
102.
Introduction to the Study of Language
- Linguistics
445/640G. Polynesian
Language Family
- Linguistics
420. Morphology
- Linguistics
622. Grammar
- Linguistics
750X Syntax Seminar
- Introduction to the Minimalist
Program
- Minimalist approaches to clitics
- Issues in Austronesian Syntax
- Linguistics 640X. Syntax Practicum
Recent Publications
Journal
articles
Book
chapters
2006
|
Syntactic
ergativity in Tongan: Resumptive pronouns revisited. In, Alana Johns,
Diane
Massam, and Juvenal Ndayiragije (eds.), Ergativity:
Emerging issues, pp. 79-107. Dordrecht:
Springer |
2005a
|
Two passive-like constructions
in Tongan.
In I Wayan Arca and Malcolm Ross (eds.), The
many faces in Austronesian voice system, pp.119-35. Canberra:
Pacific Linguistics. |
2005b
|
Scrambling and
Information Focus: VSO-VOS Alternation in Tongan. In Joachim Sabel and
Mamoru Saito (eds.), The free word order phenomenon: Its syntactic sources
and diversity, pp.
243-279. Berlin and New York: Mouton de Gruyter. |
2005c
|
Two derivations of VSO: A
comparative study of Niuean
and Tongan. In Andrew Carnie, Sheila Dooley-Collberg, and Heidi Harley
(eds.), Verb
first: On the syntax of verb initial languages, pp.65-90. Amsterdam:
John
Benjamins. |
Conference
Proceedings
2005
|
Syntax and/or
pragmatics: PP-scrambling in Tongan and the
thematic
hierarchy. In Jeffrey Heinz and Dimitrios Ntelitheos
(eds.), Proceedings of AFLA 12, UCLA
Working
Papers in Linguistics, pp.343-357. |
2004
|
Consequential
‘o-clauses
and licensing of
a null anaphor. In Hans-MartinGärtner, Paul Law, and
Joachim Sabel (eds.), Proceedings
of AFLA 11, pp.203-217.
Berlin:
ZAS |
2003a
|
VOS in Tongan:
Passive or scrambling? In Anastasia Riehl and Thess
Savella
(eds.), Proceedings of AFLA9,
Cornell
Working Papers in
Linguistics 19, pp.122-136. Ithaca, NY:
CLC Publications. |
2003b
|
Phonetic
correlates of length,
stress and definitive accent in Tongan. In Proceedings of the
Fifteenth
International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, pp. 2047–2050.
Barcelona: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (with Victoria
Anderson) |
2002
|
Syntactic
ergativity and the nature of pronouns
in Tongan. In Andrea Rackowski and Norvin Richards (eds.), Proceedings of AFLA8, MIT
Working Papers in Linguistics 44, pp.197-210. Cambridge, Mass.:
MITWPL. |
Working Papers
2001
|
Syntactic
ergativity
in Tongan. In Oxford Working Papers
in Linguistics 6, pp.189-214. University
of Oxford. |
Theses
1996 Tongan
Syntax: A Generative
Approach to the Tongan
Language.
MPhil thesis, University of Oxford.
Conference
Presentations and Invited talks
2005
|
Syntax and/or
pragmatics: PP-scrambling in Tongan
and the thematic hierarchy. Presented at the 12th meeting
of the
Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association. UCLA. May 2005. |
|
Tongan
as an endangered language? A new look at language endangerment in
Polynesia. Presented at
Anthropology Colloquium Series, University of Hawai‘i, April 2005. |
2004
|
Consequential ‘o-clauses
and licensing of a null anaphor. Presented at the 11th meeting of
the Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association. Centre for General
Linguistics, Typology and Universals Research (ZAS),
Berlin. April
2004 |
2003
|
Two
derivations
of VSO: A
comparative study of Niuean and Tongan. Presented at the Workshop
on
the Syntax
of Verb Initial Languages. University of Arizona.
February 2003. |
|
Two
coordination patterns in
Tongan: Is syntactic ergativity real? Presented at the 10th meeting of
the
Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association. University of Hawai'i.
March 2003. |
|
Complementizers
in Niuean and
Tongan. Presented at the 10th meeting of thw Austronesian Formal
Linguistics
Association. University
of Hawai'i. March 2003. (With Diane
Massam) |
|
Phonetic
correlates of length, stress, and definitive accent in Tongan.
Presented at the 15th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences.
Barcelona.
August 2003. (With Victoria
Anderson) |
2002
|
Syntactic
ergativity in Tongan: Resumptive pronouns revisited. Presented at
the Workshop on Ergativity. October 2002. University of Toronto. |
|
VOS in Tongan:
Passive or scrambling? Presented at the
9th meeting of the Austronesian
Formal Linguistics Association. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. May
2002. |
|
To
raise or not to raise: a
puzzle in Tongan.
Presented at
the 5th Conference on Oceanic Languages. ANU, Canberra.
January 2002. |
|
Passive, pro-drop, and
scrambling in Tongan. Presented at the 9th International Conference on
Austronesian Linguistics. ANU, Canberra. January 2002.
|
|
Durational
correlates of
referential NPs in Tongan.
Presented at the 5th Conference on Oceanic Languages. ANU, Canberra.
(With Victoria Anderson). January 2002. |
|
Phonetic correlates of
length, stress, and definitive accent in Tongan. Presented at the 9th
meeting of the Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association. Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY. May 2002. (With Victoria Anderson)
|
2001
|
Syntactic ergativity and
the nature of pronouns in Tongan. Presented at the 8th meeting of the
Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association. MIT, Cambridge, Mass.
April 2001. |
Students
Maihan Nguyen, MA
Thesis title: Phrase
structure and empty categories in
Vietnamese
Valerie Guerin, PhD student
Research area: Mavea (Vanuatu), syntax
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