Formal Linguistics research

Our research

Research in formal linguistics encompasses syntax / semantics and phonetics / phonology.

Our specific interests in syntax and semantics research are centred around the following broad themes:

The interface between syntax and morphology (especially animacy, and the relationship between argument structure, event structure, and case)
The interface between syntax and information structure (especially topichood, exhaustivity, and fragments).
Core syntax (especially locality, defective heads, resumptive pronouns)
Syntactic aspects of language acquisition and language impairment
Syntactic aspects of language evolution and language documentation of endangered languages (especially Uralic and South Arabian languages).

Our specific interests in phonetics and phonology are centred around the following broad themes:

Rhoticity
Sociophonetic variation (especially Galician phonetics)
Phonological categories in Arabic and Modern South Arabian
Speech production and perception research.

We are active members of the Language at Leeds research hub, and in particular of the following Language at Leeds research satellites: Language and Nature; Kartvelian and Caucasian Languages; Arabic Languages.

Our expertise

Discover our internationally-renowned academic staff and subject specialists who lead our research.

Language at Leeds

Language at Leeds brings together professionals within the University involved in the study of language, connecting individuals and groups to support research across various disciplines. The central tenet of the centre is an interdisciplinary approach to addressing and understanding issues relating to language, linguistics and communication.