Syntax as a Window into the Human Mind (for non-linguists)

Abstract: In the following list, I outline the picture that I have developed in over forty years of studying natural language syntax, the mental system that allows us to combine words and phrases into larger phrases. This presentation is meant to be completely accessible to an interested non-linguist.

Syntactic Pathways To Morphology Online Lecture Series | Chris Collins (August 24, 2026)

Syntactic Pathways to Morphology (SPTM) is a monthly online lecture series hosted by the Department of Linguistics at the University of São Paulo, bringing together researchers working on the morphology-syntax interface, with a particular focus on syntactic approaches to morphology. Conceived as a forum for scholarly exchange, SPTM fosters discussion on the explanatory power of different theoretical mechanisms within syntactic theory in accounting for morphological phenomena.

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Summer 2026 Fieldwork (Kpelegbe) by the Numbers

From June 1 to August 1, I was in Togo to do fieldwork on Kpelegbe, a dialect of Ewe spoken in Togo. This was my second year of fielwork on Kpelegbe. The following numbers give an overview of what I have accomplished.