Monograph Series on Languages and Linguistics Number 19, 1966 edited by F. P. Dinneen, SJ 17th Annual Round Table Georgetown University School of Languages and Linguistics REPORT OF THE SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL ROUND TABLE MEETING ON LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE STUDIES FRANCIS P. DINNEEN, S.J. EDITOR GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY PRESS Washington, D.C. 20007 ©Copyright 1966 GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY PRESS SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 58-31607 Lithographed in U.SA. by EDWARDS BROTHERS, INC. Ann Arbor, Michigan TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Foreword v WELCOMING REMARKS Rev. Frank L. Fadner, S.J., Regent Institute of Languages and Linguistics vii Robert Lado, Dean Institute of Languages and Linguistics ix I. PROBLEMS IN SEMANTICS John L. Fischer Interrogatives in Ponapean: Some Semantic and Grammatical Aspects 1 Charles J. Fillmore A Proposal Concerning English Prepositions 19 Gerhard Nickel Operational Procedures in Semantics, with Special Reference to Medieval English 35 James B. Fraser Some Remarks on the Verb-Particle Construction in English 45 DISCUSSION 63 II. FIRST LUNCHEON ADDRESS George L. Trager Linguistics as Anthropology 71 IIL HISTORY OF LINGUISTICS Karl V. Teeter The History of Linguistics: New Lamps for Old 83 iv / TABLE OF CONTENTS Hugo Mueller On Re-Reading von Humboldt 97 John Viertel Concepts of Language Underlying the 18th Century Controversy about the Origin of Language 109 Geoffrey Bursill-Hall Aspects of Modistic Grammar 133 DISCUSSION 149 IV. LINGUISTICS AND ENGLISH Stanley Sapon Shaping Productive Verbal Behavior in a Non-Speaking Child: A Case Report 157 Paul M. Postal On So-Called 'Pronouns' in English 177 Terence E. Langendoen The Syntax of the English Expletive 'It' 207 Archibald A. Hill A Re-Examination of the English Articles 217 DISCUSSION 233 V. SECOND LUNCHEON ADDRESS William C. Stokoe, Jr. Linguistic Description of Sign Languages 243 Appendix I Index of Speakers 251 Appendix II List of Registrants 252 FOREWORD For the past seventeen years, Georgetown University's annual Round Table meetings have brought together scholars in the field of linguistics and allied subjects to report on their latest findings and discuss the problems they have in common. This year's sessions, held March 25th and 26th, 1966, resulted in the papers reprinted in this present monograph. The panels, in accordance with the now traditional format of the sessions, were three in number, each with four speakers. They dealt with problems in semantics, with the history of lin- guistic study and with aspects of English. In addition, the luncheon speakers gave stimulating insights into the relations between lin- guistic study and anthropology, and linguistic aspects of sign lan- guages . It is hoped that this broad range of topics gives promise of a greater range of interest in linguistic studies, and of an increase in tolerance for different models for the description of languages than has been customary in the field of linguistics in the past years. In particular, it is to be hoped that concern for the con- tinuity in the field of language-study, rather than zeal for the latest linguistic fashion, will provide a basis for interest in the findings of linguistic work among scholars of humanistic back- ground. Francis P. Dinneen, S.J. Editor WELCOMING REMARKS REVEREND FRANK L. FADNER, S. J. Regent, Institute of Languages and Linguistics Georgetown University Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues, Participants and Guests at Georgetown University's Seventeenth Annual Round Table Meet- ing on Linguistics and Language Studies: I suppose that in the last analysis it is man's innate curiosity in the awesome expanding universe of the renaissance in which we now live—that human propensity and flair we are said to share with Satan himself, for constantly mouthing the question 'Why?' —that explains the singular success enjoyed by these annual gatherings sponsored by this Institute since its foundation almost a score of years ago. Habitues, old faces in the congregation, cannot fail to be im- pressed by the gamut in our annual considerations of human lan- guage, and the science that has grown out of is observation. The range has been everything from our country's desperate need for intelligent language learning, the relation of linguistic science to educational psychology and classroom guidance, anthro• pology and the humanities, valuable speculation on meaning and language structure, the technicalities of machine translation, as well as the implications and possibilities of bilingualism—and bureaucratic contrived speech here in the nation's capital. There seems to be no end to the possibilities; we may one day in this very room listen to learned papers on intelligent speech from outer space. For the moment, as a prosaic historian I am content to note viii / WELCOMING REMARKS at least one session is being devoted this year to the history of Linguistics—a backward glance at the record. I feel sure that the serious and solid citizens responsible for these discussions will not yield to the cynicism of Jakob Burck- hardt (1818-97) who, I think it was, maintained that 'the only thing that history teaches us is that history teaches us nothing'. We shall rather be inspired by the sentiments of a Winston Churchill who saw a sense of history as absolutely necessary to an understanding of the problems of our time—the past as prel- ude to the present, and the future of a brave new world. In the name of the President and the Board of Directors of Georgetown University, I extend a hearty welcome to you all. May the Almighty Father of us all inspire us in these days of thoughtful deliberation. That is the enthusiastic wish of your hosts in these halls. WELCOMING REMARKS DR. ROBERT LADO Dean, Institute of Languages and Linguistics Georgetown University Friends: As you know, the papers and discussions of the Georgetown Annual Round Table Meeting on Linguistics and Language Studies are published in the Monograph Series on Languages and Linguis - tics. The proceedings of this the Seventeenth Annual Round Table Meeting will appear as Monograph number 19, edited by Rev. Francis P. Dinneen, S. J. , Chairman of the Round Table. The numbers of the monographs and of the annual meetings do not coincide for two reasons: the first round table meeting, which was held in 1950, was not recorded and the proceedings were never published. Monograph number 1 contains the proceedings of the Second Round Table Meeting and is dated September 1951. All other Round Table meetings have been reported in separate monographs. In addition, monographs 3,5, and 6 do not contain material from the Round Table meetings. We are pleased to report that monographs 1, 2, 3, and 8, which had been out of print, have been reprinted this year by the Kraus Reprint Corporation of New York. The entire series is thus again available. It seems proper to point out that the Annual Round Table Meet- ing is entirely supported by Georgetown University, the partici- pants, who contribute their time and papers, and the audience, who come at their own expense. We receive no outside support for these nationally recognized linguistic events or the Monograph x / WELCOMING REMARKS Series. And it seems fit also to say that we have not used these events as a forum for our own faculty but have been most anxious to keep offering this forum to the widest possible representation of scientists , scholars, and teachers in languages, linguistics and related disciplines. A reading of the roster of participants over the years shows clearly that we have maintained this policy with success. Under the heading of news of interest to the participants, I reported last year the sad news of the sudden passing of the chairman of the Tenth Round Table Meeting, Professor Richard Slade Harrell, during his sabbatical year in Egypt. I can report that the painting of a portrait of him has been commissioned through the aid of private donations from friends of the late Professor Harrell and of the Institute. The portrait will be placed in the Nevils Building in appreciation for his contributions to lin- guistics and to Georgetown University. This year I regret to report the passing of Professor Ruth HirschWeinsteinWeir, editor of Monograph 5 and Monograph 8, the latter being the report of the Sixth Round Table Meeting, which she chaired. The program of the Seventeenth Round Table Meeting promises an exciting array of papers on vital problems in linguistics, sem- antics and English. I welcome you most cordially to hear the papers and invite you to a most active participation in the dis- cussions. PANEL 1 PROBLEMS IN SEMANTICS INTERROGATIVES IN PONAPEAN: SOME SEMANTIC AND GRAMMATICAL ASPECTS J. L. FISCHER Tulane University and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences Interrogative words in Ponapean are of interest in that as a group they are semantically more complex and enter into a greater variety of constructions than do interrogative words in English and a number of other languages. This paper is a de- scriptive survey of Ponapean interrogatives. Ponapean is a Micro- nesian language spoken by the inhabitants of the island of Ponape in the Eastern Caroline Islands. Most of the features which appear unusual from the viewpoint of European languages could also be found in one or another of the other Micronesian and Austronesian languages. Generally, 'an interrogative' means a word which indicates that the clause in which it is used, along with any dependent clauses, is a question; that is, that the speaker requests further information of some sort about the proposition, and that the in- formation requested is of a certain kind. Most commonly an in- terrogative indicates which constituent of the clause requires fur- ther specification, although there are also interrogative words in some languages which indicate that an evaluation of the truth or falsity of the whole clause or larger construction is desired (e.g.