OCTOBER 31, 2023
Philippe Schlenker (Institut Jean Nicod/New York University), based on joint work with Jason Lamberton (Gallaudet University) and Jonathan Lamberton
"The Projection of Slurs in ASL: A First Look"
NOVEMBER 28, 2023
Teresa Marques (University of Barcelona)
"Cross-linguistic Disagreement about Derogatory Words"
FEBRUARY 6, 2024
María Bibiloni (University of Aberdeen)
"Idealization and Epistemic Power in Theories of Slurs"
ABSTRACT:
In this talk, I will present some early results of an empirical study on the meaning of slurs conducted with Rodrigo Diaz (IFS-CSIC, Madrid). Many hypotheses have been proposed in the philosophical and linguistic literature about the meaning of slurs, both in terms of what information these words communicate and by what linguistic mechanisms they communicate it. Our study aims to test laypeople’s intuitions via questionnaires and to determine the extent to which these intuitions correspond to the hypotheses in question.
MARCH 5, 2024
Eleonora Orlando & Andrés Saab (CONICET/IIF-SADAF & University of Buenos Aires)
"Slurs: A Syntactically Grounded Ambiguity"
ABSTRACT:
In this talk we ground an intuitive distinction between two interpretations of slur-words on the different syntactic configuration of the sentences containing them. We take this phenomenon to give some support to a dualist semantics according to which slurs have both a representational or truth-conditional and an expressive or use-conditional meaning dimension. The talk has the following structure. In the first part, we point to an intuitive ambiguity in certain sentences containing slurs. Then, we argue for the grammatical source of a distinction between predicative/argumental and epithetic readings of those sentences by defending a certain grammatical approach to epithets, according to which they can be assimilated to free pronouns. Finally, we provide different syntactic tests for distinguishing epithetic from predicative occurrences of slur-words, and we introduce some lexical restrictions on epithetic occurrences.
APRIL 9, 2024
Constant Bonard (University of Bern)
"What and How Slurs Mean: An Empirical Investigation"
ABSTRACT:
In this talk, I will present some early results of an empirical study on the meaning of slurs conducted with Rodrigo Diaz (IFS-CSIC, Madrid). Many hypotheses have been proposed in the philosophical and linguistic literature about the meaning of slurs, both in terms of what information these words communicate and by what linguistic mechanisms they communicate it. Our study aims to test laypeople’s intuitions via questionnaires and to determine the extent to which these intuitions correspond to the hypotheses in question.
MAY 21, 2024
Víctor Carranza-Pinedo (University of Münster)
"Language Dynamics in Close Quarters: The Function of Pejorative Nicknames"
ABSTRACT:
This presentation focuses on pejorative nicknames, in particular within closely-knit social settings such as villages, households, and schools. Drawing from ethnological and psychological studies on nicknaming and name-calling practices, the presentation aims at showing the shared functional and structural attributes between pejorative nicknames and slurs. Through an examination of the control mechanisms embedded in both phenomena, this exploration suggests that pejorative nicknames serve as tools to foster intra-groups hierarchies, mirroring the role of slurs within a smaller scale. By doing so, this presentation aims at directing attention on how linguistic dynamics within smaller speech-act communities can enhance our comprehension of the derogatory impact of slurs in more intricate social contexts.
JUNE 4, 2024
Starr Sandoval (University of British Columbia)
"Non-speaker-oriented Expressives in Ktunaxa and English"
ABSTRACT:
This paper provides the first documentation and analysis of expressive nouns in Ktunaxa, a severely endangered language isolate spoken in Interior British Columbia and the northwest United States. Ktunaxa expressives liberally allow non-speaker-oriented interpretations under attitude reports. This contrasts English expressives, which are usually speaker-oriented. Most accounts of English expressives treat their judge as contextually variable (e.g. Potts 2007, Schlenker 2007). I argue this analysis is better suited for Ktunaxa, and I suggest more rigid theory of expressives in English to account for their default orientation to the speaker.