Dr Paul Sidwell
I am a semi-retired researcher and consultant in linguistics, these days pivoting to farm life near Batemans Bay, NSW. I specialize in Southeast Asian language history, forensic linguistics, and applied research for security and law-enforcement (via the business Language Intelligence email language.intel@gmail.com). Until 2016 I was an Australian Research Council Future Fellow at the Australian National University (College of Asia and the Pacific). I focus on Austroasiatic languages, authoring books on the Katuic, Bahnaric, Palaungic & Khasian branches, and I am actively preparing works on Nicobarese, Khmuic, Pakanic, Pearic, and Munda branches, and a comprehensive revision of Harry Shorto's (2006) A Mon-Khmer Comparative Dictionary which will include a new reconstruction of the proto-Austroasiatic lexicon.
My research and publishing activity extends to wider Mainland and insular Southeast Asia: my most recent significant contributions are major handbooks (co-edited with Mathias Jenny) the Brill Handbook of Austroasiatic Languages and deGruyter The Languages and Linguistics of Mainland Southeast Asia: A comprehensive guide.
Professional appointments/projects
2019 onward Honorary Associate, Department of Linguistics, University of Sydney.
2017 onward: Partner, Language Intelligence.
2017-2018: Honorary Lecturer, Australian National University.
2016: Consulting Linguist, Center for Research in Computational Linguistics (Bangkok), DARPA/LORELEI Project.
2012–2016: ARC Future Fellow, Australian National University, Austroasiatic Lexicon Project.
2007–2011: Center for Research in Computational Linguistics (Bangkok), Director of Mon-Khmer Language Project.
2001–2004: ANU, Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Research Fellow
2005–2007: ANU Visiting Research Fellow, funded by Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
2001: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Collaborating Scientist
Active projects / Research resources/tools
Partner: Language Intelligence Consultancy for forensic linguistics and applied research for security applications
Editor: THE LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS OF MAINLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE. Now Published.
La Vaughn Hayes Vietic Digital Archives: http://sealang.net/archives/hayes/
Franklin Huffman Katuic Audio Archives: http://sealang.net/archives/huffman2/
Mon-Khmer Languages Project lexical database and research tool
SEALANG Archives: http://sealang.net/archives/
Boards / Committees / Associations (current/ongoing positions)
President/Treasurer, Executive Committee of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society
Chair, International Conference on Austroasiatic Languages (ICAAL) continuity group
Managing Editor, JSEALS - The Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (ISSN 1836-6821)
Editor Southeast Asian Languages Open Linguistics, deGruyterMouton
Editor, Brill series Grammars and Sketches of the World's Languages , Mainland and Insular Southeast Asia