My project is an investigation into new word (neologism) formation in Gitksan, an endangered Indigenous language spoken in northern British Columbia. In my dissertation research, I examine the way in which Gitksan neologisms were formed in the past and how these methods can be deployed to expand modern Gitksan vocabulary. Studying neologism formation can shed light on the creative processes that fluent Gitksan speakers use when forming new words. That in turn can help younger speakers to adapt the language to the modern world without compromising its integrity.
Research Description
My project is an investigation into new word (neologism) formation in Gitksan, an endangered Indigenous language spoken in northern British Columbia. Neologism formation is crucial if languages are to keep pace with change in a quickly evolving world. In languages with large speaker populations, such as English, neologisms form without explicit direction. For example, “Google”, originally a proper noun, spontaneously started being used as a verb (“I’ll just google that”); and the Canadian two-dollar coin became known as a "toonie" after other candidates, such as "doubloonie", dropped out of use. These innovations did not come about through the mediation of an authority, but rather by the contagion of spontaneous patterns of usage. In the case of minority and endangered languages such as Gitksan, this process of neologism formation can be disrupted, as speakers borrow terms from or simply switch into a dominant language. In my dissertation research, I examine the way in which Gitksan neologisms were formed in the past and how these methods can be deployed to expand modern Gitksan vocabulary. Studying neologism formation can shed light on the creative processes that fluent Gitksan speakers use when forming new words. That in turn can help younger speakers to adapt the language to the modern world without compromising its integrity. For a language such as Gitksan which is rooted in traditional cultural, economic, and social practices, while simultaneously adapting to contemporary social pressures, a historical and modern understanding of how words are constructed is invaluable for maintaining day-to-day Gitksan language use in the face of influence from English. Gitksan already has shown creative resistance to the wholesale adoption of English vocabulary for new concepts. When cameras became available, Gitksan speakers began using the word “haguxwsg̱alt'amdinsxw” which roughly translates as 'an instrument which causes a process that marks against itself' while a telegram was called “gipaygum algax̱”, literally 'flying speech'. Due to its capacity to break down old words into their component parts and recombine them to form completely new words, Gitksan is well-equipped to describe, conceive of, and talk about any concept in the modern world. The results of my research will provide the linguistic tools to help Gitksan speech communities engage with the modern world without capitulating to English, and while preserving their own unique linguistic and cultural perspective.
What does being a Public Scholar mean to you?
Being a public scholar means that I have a platform to bring more visibility and awareness to the areas of research I see as valuable for the public good. It also enables me to publicly acknowledge the collaborative work the Gitksan language experts I work with have engaged in over many years.
In what ways do you think the PhD experience can be re-imagined with the Public Scholars Initiative?
PSI means my PhD research program can be designed and presented with the aim of benefitting more people than just those in the academic bubble. The audience for my research can be expanded beyond the academic bubble to engage with the broader community exactly because it is designed to be accessible for the public.
How do you envision connecting your PhD work with broader career possibilities?
My career goal is to work on language revitalization efforts, especially with Gitksan. My PhD work is directly concerned with investigating the Gitksan language’s intrinsic capacity to resist and adapt to pressure from the dominant language of English. Many endangered and minority languages across the globe are facing an increasing urgency to survive as mega-languages such as English, Spanish, and Mandarin continue to displace smaller languages that fall under their influence. I intend to continue to work in language revitalization efforts through linguistic research wherever my expertise might be useful.
How does your research engage with the larger community and social partners?
The type of research that fieldwork linguists engage in is already (or at least ought to be) a collaborative exercise. While a lot of linguistic research can be insular and inaccessible to the larger community, my research necessitates engagement with the Gitksan speech community and those who have an interest in the language and its continued use in the future. Throughout my research it has been crucial to consult and have discussions with fluent speakers of the language, as well as learners and future learners. Their concerns and priorities regarding neologisms, and how my research will be deployed fits with the goals of the Gitksan Research Laboratory at UBC, which has a mandate to make its research accessible and useful to the speech community.
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I knew that I wanted to continue to conduct research on Gitksan and continue to be involved in language and documentation efforts. While there may be some opportunities to do this outside academia, the resources and opportunities for collaboration would be restricted. Furthering my education and gaining experience in graduate school was the next logical step.
Why did you choose to come to British Columbia and study at UBC?
UBC is the only university that has an active research lab which focusses on Gitksan and it was the natural choice. I had an amazing undergrad experience at UBC working with the lab within the Department of Linguistics and after completing my Master’s Degree at the University of Toronto, it had always been my intention to UBC and the Gitksan research community.
Being a public scholar means that I have a platform to bring more visibility and awareness to the areas of research I see as valuable for the public good. It also enables me to publicly acknowledge the collaborative work the Gitksan language experts I work with have engaged in over many years.
