David Mora-Marín's Linguistics Web Site


I'm originally from Costa Rica (Moravia, San José) but have lived in the United States since August of 1992 (Lawrence, Kansas; Albany, New York; Chapel Hill, North Carolina).  I am a husband to Heather, who's from Kansas, and a dad to Siubhan, who's now six, and Aodhfionn, who was born on April 8, 2005.

Contents


Upcoming Events!

Two important events will take place this April (see special website here):

1) Wednesday, April 16th, 11 am-1 pm, Room 1009, Global Education Center:

Discussion Forum on indigenous issues in Guatemala with members of cultural group U K’ux Käj, U K’ux Ulew (Heart of the Sky, Heart of the Earth) from Guatemala.

2) Thursday, April 17th, 5-7 pm, Toy Lounge, Dey Hall:

Dance performance by group U K’ux Käj, U K’ux Ulew, with narrative in Mam, one of the more than twenty Mayan languages spoken in Guatemala, spoken by about a million people.

3) Friday, April 18th, 3-5 pm, Toy Lounge, Dey Hall:

Symposium on Mesoamerican Languages and Linguistics, with three invited speakers, five lectures in total.  For more information go here.

Final Program here.

Academic Background

I'm a linguistic anthropologist specializing in Mesoamerican linguistics and epigraphy.  My position is supported jointly by the Linguistics Department and the Consortium for Latin American Studies at UNC/Duke.  I obtained my Ph.D. from SUNY-Albany in 2001, and my B.A. from KU-Lawrence in 1996.


Research Interests

My research involves comparative and historical reconstruction of Mayan morphosyntax and the study of the origin, orthography, and grammatical structure of ancient Mayan hieroglyphic texts.  I am also interested in the study of the linguistic history of other Mesoamerican languages and scripts (e.g. Epi-Olmec, Zapotec, Teotihuacan), and in the origin of Mesoamerican writing systems more specifically.  Also, I also deal with issues of language and power (Bourdieu, Foucault, Weber) and civilizational studies (Wallerstein), as well as on the art history and archaeology of ancient Costa Rican societies, especially the Precolumbian jade lapidary tradition.


Current and Ongoing Projects

Current:  Primary Standard Sequence: Database Compilation, Grammatical Structure, Primary Documentation.  The publication of the results will take place in two phases.  The first part will focus on the paleographic background and the readings of important glyphs.  The second part will focus on the grammatical structure and the historical development of the PSS dedicatory formula.  Supported by FAMSI Grant #02047.  http://www.famsi.org/reports/02047/index.html.

Ongoing: Late Preclassic Inscription Documentation (LAPIDA).  Supported by FAMSI Grant #99049.  http://www.famsi.org/reports/99049/index.html.

Current: Diachronic Ch'olan-Tzeltalan Morphosyntactic Reconstruction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dissertation

Ph.D. - Anthropology - State University of New York, Albany, NY.  Title of Thesis: The Grammar, Orthography, Content, and Social Context of Late Preclassic Portable Texts.  2001.  (Beware: It's a pretty large document, about 25 MB!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courses

Fall 2004: Introduction to Sociolinguistics (LING 170)

Spring 2005: Survey of Mesoamerican Languages (LING 115), Historical Linguistics (LING 101)

Summer 2005: Yucatec Maya, Introduction to Linguistics (LING 30)

Fall 2005: Introduction to Sociolinguistics (LING 170), Mesoamerican Writing Systems (LING 115)

Spring 2006: Historical Linguistics (LING 101), Mayan Languages and Culture (LING 115)

Summer 2006: Yucatec Maya, Introduction to Linguistics (LING 30)

Fall 2006: Language Variation and Change (LING 202), Introduction to Mayan Art and Writing (LING 415)

Spring 2007: Introduction to Yucatec Maya (LING 415.015), Structure of Mayan Art and Writing (LING 415.001)

Summer 2007: Yucatec Maya

Summer 2007: Introduction to Language (LING 101)

Fall 2007: Language Variation and Change (LING 202), Mesoamerican Languages and Linguistics (LING 415.015)

Spring 2008: Introduction to Language, Honors (LING 101H), Mesoamerican Writing Systems (LING 415.015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recent Papers (Some in Progress) and Project Reports

Below you may print or download some of my recent papers; most are works in progress, so please contact me (davidmm@unc.edu) if you are planning to cite them in case I have made major revisions.  At the bottom you may find a list with most of my publications.

Affixation Conventionalization: Explanation of Conventionalized Spellings in Mayan Writing.  PDF.  Paper presented at the 2004-2005 SSILA Conference in Oakland, California.  For accompanying PowerPoint slideshow click here. (Links disabled temporarily.)

Kaminaljuyu Stela 10: Script Classification and Linguistic Affiliation.  PDF.  (Longer version of paper presented at the Midwest Mesoamericanist Conference in March of 2003.  Revised version based on this manuscript is currently in press in Ancient Mesoamerica.)  (See below for published version from Ancient Mesoamerica.)

Pre-Ch’olan as the Standard Language of Classic Lowland Mayan Texts. PDF.  (Paper presented at the SSILA meetings in January of 2003.)  **WORK IN PROGRESS: PLEASE CONTACT AUTHOR BEFORE CITING IN A PAPER**

Pre-Proto-Ch'olan as the Standard Language of Classic Lowland Mayan Texts. PDF.  (Longer paper presented at the Crabs and Glyphs meeting in September of 2004.)  Note that in the PDF version I changed the use of "Pre-Ch'olan" (see shorter paper above) to "Proto-Ch'olan" in order to avoid using the term "Pre-Ch'olan" which is most often used to refer to linguistic traits arrived at through internal reconstruction.  In the more recent version of this longer paper I have decided to use the term "Pre-Proto-Ch'olan" and distinguish it from both "Pre-Ch'olan" (internal reconstruction of Proto-Ch'olan traits) and "Proto-Ch'olan".  More on this later...  **WORK IN PROGRESS: PLEASE CONTACT AUTHOR BEFORE CITING IN A PAPER**

Affixation Conventionalization Hypothesis: An Explanation of Regularly Disharmonic and Synharmonic Spellings in Mayan Writing.  PDF.  (Alternative explanation of Mayan orthographic practices to that by Houston et al. 1998, 2004.)  **WORK IN PROGRESS: PLEASE CONTACT AUTHOR BEFORE CITING IN A PAPER**

Full Phonetic Complements and Semantic Classifiers: Implications for Mayan Orthographic Conventions.  PDF.  (A description of a rare spelling practice and also a definition of a major distinction between semantic determinatives and semantic classifiers in Mayan writing.)  **WORK IN PROGRESS: PLEASE CONTACT AUTHOR BEFORE CITING IN A PAPER**

The Primary Standard Sequence: Database Compilation, Grammatical Analysis, and Primary Documentation.  Final Report to FAMSI (#02047). www.famsi.org/reports/02047/FinalReport02047.pdf.  Friday, January 17, 2003

PSS Database: Version 1.3.  This version of my searchable database file is in PDF format.  If you prefer an ASCII format please email me and I'll email you one.  This is the pre-Texas Meetings 2005 version.  Soon I will post the Version 1.4 reflecting new texts added since the Texas Meetings 2005.

Late Preclassic Inscription Documentation (LAPIDA) Project.  This is the FAMSI report of the inscription documentation project that I undertook for my dissertation.

Resumen de estudio epigráfico de placas de jade incisas y discos de pizarra mayas encontrados en Costa Rica.  This is an unpublished paper presented at the IX Simposio Anual de Arqueología Guatemalteca, at the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología de Guatemala, in Guatemala City, July of 1995.  I added a few minor revisions in September of 1996 and February of 1997 when I was a grad student at SUNY-Albany.

A Test and Falsification of the “Classic Ch’olti’an” Hypothesis:

A Study of Three Proto-Ch’olan Markers.  Based on the “Pre-Proto-Ch’olan” paper above.  In progress.

Reconstruction of the Proto-Ch’olan Independent Pronouns, Deictic Enclitics, and Definite Articles.  Part of the “Diachronic Ch’olan-Tzeltalan Morphosyntactic Reconstruction” Project.  In progress.


The Jade-to-gold Shift in Ancient Costa Rica: A World Systems Perspective.  DOC.

The "Charlie Chaplin" Silhouette Figural Theme: A Middle American Theme.  DOC.

Slideshow associated with Jade-to-gold paper.  PowerPoint.

Slideshow on San Bartolo Murals.  Powerpoint.

Slideshow on History of Costa Rican Jade Tradition.  Powerpoint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selected Publications

Below are most of my publications so far.

Kaminaljuyu Stela 10: Script Classification and Linguistic Affiliation.  Ancient Mesoamerica 16:63-87.  2005.

The Proto-Ch'olan Positional Status Marker *-täl and Additional Comments on Classic Mayan Positional Morphology.  Wayeb Notes No. 17.  2005.

A Possible Alternative Way of Expressing Month Names in Maya Writing.  Glyph Dwellers Report 19.  2005.

A New Sign with Phonetic no Reading?  Wayeb Notes No. 15.  2004.

Discourse Structure and Coordinate Constructions in Classic Lowland Mayan Texts.  In: The Linguistics of the Maya Script, edited by Søren Wichmann, pp. 339-364.  University of Utah Press.  2004.

The Origin of Mayan Syllabograms and Orthographic Conventions.  Written Language and Literacy, 6(2):193-237.  2003.

Historical Reconstruction of Mayan Applicative and Antidative Constructions.  International Journal of American Linguistics.  69(2):186-228.  2003.

An Epi-Olmec Jade Pendant Found in Costa Rica.   Mexicon 24(1):14-19.  2002.

• The Origins of Maya Civilization: The Old Shell Game, Commodity, Treasure, and Kingship.  In Ancient Maya Political Economies, edited by Marilyn Masson and David Freidel, pp. 41-86.  New York: Altamira Press.  Coauthored with David Freidel and Kathryn Reese-Taylor.  2002.

The Syllabic Value of Mayan T77 as k’i.   Research Reports on Ancient Maya Writing 46:8-45.  2000.                     

The Origins of Maya Writing: The Case for Portable Objects.  In U Mut Maya VII, edited by Tom and Carolyn Jones, pp. 133-164.  Arcata: Humboldt State University.  1997.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links


Institutions and Organizations

Society for the Study of Indigenous Languages of the Americas (SSILA): http://www.ssila.org/

The Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America: http://www.ailla.utexas.org/site/welcome.html

Center for the Indigenous Languages of Latin America (CILLA): http://www.utexas.edu/cola/llilas/centers/cilla/links.html

Linguistics Society of America (LSA): http://www.lsadc.org/

Society of American Archaeology (SAA): http://www.saa.org/

American Anthropological Association (AAA): http://www.aaanet.org/

Mesoweb: http://www.mesoweb.com/

Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. (FAMSI): http://www.famsi.org/

Wayeb:
http://www.wayeb.org/

K'inal Winik Cultural Center:
http://www.csuohio.edu/kinalwinik/

Instituto de Lingüística y Educación, Universidad Rafael Landívar:
http://www.url.edu.gt/VAcademica/ILE/default.htm

Maya Archaeology:
http://www.maya-archaeology.org/

The Maya Meetings at UT-Austin: http://www.utmaya.org/

The Mesoamerica Center at UT-Austin: http://www.utmesoamerica.org/

Center for Maya Research/Research Reports on Ancient Maya Writing: http://www.precolumbia.com/bearc/CMR/home.html

Center for Ancient American Studies/Ancient America: http://www.precolumbia.com/bearc/CAAS/home.html

Guatemala Scholars Network (GSN): http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Anthro/GSN/

 

Programa de Investigaciones Multidisciplinarias Sobre Mesoamérica y El Sureste (PROIMMSE):

http://proimmse.unam.mx/

Grants and Funding Sources

National Science Foundation -- Linguistics: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5408&org=BCS&from=home

The Wenner-Gren Foundation: http://www.wennergren.org/

FAMSI: http://www.famsi.org/


Departments and Programs

UNC-CH, Linguistics: http://www.unc.edu/depts/ling/

UNC-CH, Consortium for Latina American and Caribbean Studies at DUKE/UNC: http://www.unc.edu/depts/ilas/front.html

UNC-CH, Anthropology: http://www.unc.edu/depts/anthro/

SUNY-Albany, Anthropology: http://www.albany.edu/anthro/

KU-Lawrence, Anthropology: http://www.ku.edu/~kuanth/

KU-Lawrence, Linguistics: http://www.linguistics.ku.edu/


Scholars I Know Well

Cliff Pye
http://raven.cc.ku.edu/~pyersqr/index.shtml

John Hoopes
http://www.ku.edu/~hoopes/

John Justeson
http://www.albany.edu/anthro/fac/justeson.htm

Aaron Broadwell
http://www.albany.edu/anthro/fac/broadwell.htm

Robert Carmack
http://www.albany.edu/anthro/fac/carmack.htm

Kathryn Josserand (recently passed away)
http://www.anthro.fsu.edu/people/faculty/?josserand

Marilyn Masson
http://www.albany.edu/anthro/fac/masson.htm

 

Erik Boot’s Excellent Website http://mayanewsupdates.blogspot.com/


C. Andrew Hofling
http://www.siu.edu/~anthro/hofling/

Søren Wichmann
http://email.eva.mpg.de/~wichmann/

William Ringle: http://www.davidson.edu/academic/anthropology/biringle.htm


Newspapers

La Nación: http://www.nacion.com/


Electronic Journals

Glyph Dwellers: http://nas.ucdavis.edu/NALC/glyphdwellers.html

Wayeb Notes: http://www.wayeb.org/indexnotes.htm

Journal of World Systems Research: http://jwsr.ucr.edu/index.php

Linguistic Discovery: http://linguistic-discovery.dartmouth.edu/webobjbin/WebObjects/Journals.woa/xmlpage/1/issue

Texas Notes on Pre-Columbian Art and Writing.  Technically this was a print journal or newsletter, but all the issues are now available online: http://www.utexas.edu/research/chaaac/the_texas_notes.html


Resources

Digital Media Archive, Language Acquisition Research Center at San Diego State University, Yucatec Maya: http://larcdma.sdsu.edu/user/index.php?lang=Yucatec%20Maya


Museo Popol Vuh: http://www.popolvuh.ufm.edu.gt/eng/index.htm

Calendar program: http://www.pauahtun.org/tools.html

SIL phonetic fonts: http://www.sil.org/computing/fonts/

The Ethnologue:
http://www.ethnologue.com/

MIT Linguistics:
http://web.mit.edu/linguistics/www/

The Linguist List:
http://www.linguistlist.org/

Dictionary of American Regional English:
http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/dare/dare.html

Kaqchikel Mayan at KU-Lawrence:
http://www.ku.edu/~mayan/

Centro Maya de Idiomas:
http://www.centromaya.org/

Judith Maxwell:
http://www.tulane.edu/~maxwell/

William Labov's homepage:
http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~wlabov/home.html

Matthew S. Dryer's website:
http://linguistics.buffalo.edu/people/faculty/dryer/dryer/dryer.htm

Brian Stross:
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~strossb/index.html

William Croft's website:
http://lings.ln.man.ac.uk/Info/staff/WAC/WACHome.html

Brian D. Joseph's website:
http://www.ling.ohio-state.edu/~bjoseph/

Hans H. Hock's website:
http://www.linguistics.uiuc.edu/hhhock/
 
Archive of the Indian Languages of Chiapas:
http://academic.reed.edu/linguistics/enterENG.htm

Lyle Campbell's website:
http://www.linguistics.utah.edu/Faculty/campbell/campbell.html

Sk'op Sotz'leb: The Tzotzil of Zinacantán:
http://zapata.org/tzotzil/

Workshop on American Indigenous Languages:
http://orgs.sa.ucsb.edu/nailsg/index.html

Kaufman's (2003)
Preliminary Mayan Etymologycal Dictionary.

Linguistics software (transcription) download: http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/resources/computing/download/download.htm

Susanna Cumming's web resources for linguistics: http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/cumming/index.htm

Nim Po't Virtual Retail Museum: http://www.nimpot.com/

Self-Study Languages: http://babel.uoregon.edu/YLC/selfstudy.html

Linguistic Data Consortium: http://www.ldc.upenn.edu/

Judith Aissen: http://people.ucsc.edu/~aissen/

Norbert O. Ross: http://people.vanderbilt.edu/~norbert.o.ross/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Info

325 Dey Hall CB #3155
Linguistics Department
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Phone: 919/843-5621
Email: davidmm@unc.edu

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