柯禕藍
Kellen Parker van Dam, PhD
Hello!
My name is Kellen Parker van Dam, 又叫作柯禕藍. I am a linguist specialising in Sino-Tibetan languages in the far Eastern Himālaya along the India / China / Myanmar border. I mostly work on language documentation, historical phonology, tonogenesis & tonoexodus, typology, the history of migration & social contact, the role of geography in the context of language, the creation of maps for communities, and the use of computational methods to those ends.
I am also actively engaged in community-focused capacity building including development and management of workshops in and around Notheast India.
The languages I work with most are part of the Patkaian ("Northern Naga") branch within Sino-Tibetan, including Tangsa-Nocte and Khiamniungic, however I'm also involved with a handful of communities elsewhere in Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
This page serves as a snippet of a résumé for the purpose of making myself a little more searchable, for those who may be interested in the relevant research topics. I am always happy to talk to new people with an eye toward the Eastern Himālaya.
To get in touch, see the links at the bottom of the page.
current positions
Chair assistant / Akademischer Rat auf Zeit
Universität Passau Passau, DE
2023.10
Associate Academic Director
Training and Resources for Indigenous Community Linguists (TRICL)
2020.01
Adjunct Research Fellow
Department of Languages & Cultures
La Trobe University,Melbourne, VIC, AU
2019.04
brief résumé
A quick overview of what else I've been up to. This is only a selection of items, and is already probably too long.
upcoming talks
2024
The hidden morphology of North Khiamniungan: Synchronic unearthing of once-productive gender markingÖsterreichische Linguistiktagung 2024 (ÖLT2024).Innsbruck, AT2024.12.19past conference presentations
Papers I've presented at conferences over the past few years, to give a better idea of some of my research interests.
2024
van Dam, K. P.,Rupini, M.(2024)Substratum effects in modern Rupini Kok Is there evidence for a non-Tibeto-Burman origin of Old Rupini?International Seminar on Kokborok as a look out of Literature & Linguistics.Tripura, INvan Dam, K. P.(2024)Hidden compounds and the importance of diachrony in synchronic description: The case of Khiamniungan21st International Congress of Linguists (ICL2024).Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie,Poznań, PL
—(2024)Understanding J. F. Needham’s 19th century description of Muishaung as a record of language change in the Eastern HimalayaLegacy materials as data sources for language description and documentation.Université Paris Cité,Paris, FR
Sakhamo, T.,van Dam, K. P.(2024)The Structure of Chokrimi Society in Porba Village, NagalandFirst International Conference on Social Sciences (ICSS-1).Tharananellur Arts & Science College,Kerala, IN
van Dam, K. P.,Thaam, K., Meyan, S., Thangjiu, M.(2024)Topographical sensitivity of verbs for “to go” in Thang, Wolam & Pounyiu4th International Conference of Tibeto-Burman Linguistics Association of North East India (ICTiBLANEI-4).Shillong, ML, IN
2023
van Dam, K. P.(2023)On the Reconstructability of a Sal pronominal system56th International Conference on Sino–Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (ICSTLL56).Chulalongkorn University,Bangkok, THvan Dam, K. P.,Thaam, K.(2023)A first description of Wolam Ngio, a Khiamniungic language of Nagaland and Myanmar56th International Conference on Sino–Tibetan Languages and Linguistics (ICSTLL56).Chulalongkorn University,Bangkok, TH
van Dam, K. P.(2023)Lexical phylogenies of under-described languages: Two case studies from Tibeto-BurmanOut of Asia workshop.Zürich, CH
—(2023)A Bayesian phylogeny of Patkaian (Northern Naga)26th International Conference on Historical Linguistics (ICHL26).Heidelberg, DE
Karim, S. O.,van Dam, K. P.(2023)The potential areality of pitch-based word-level prominence marking in Kurmancî6th International Conference on Kurdish Linguistics (ICKL-6).Frankfurt, DE
van Dam, K. P.,Muheim, N.(2023)A first description of Kaisan, a Tibeto-Burman language of Myanmar26th Himalayan Languages Symposium (HLS26).Paris, FR
van Dam, K. P.(2023)Toneme neutralisation in Tibeto-Burman iambic compoundsSpeech Units Workshop 2023 (SUW2023).Zürich, CH
van Dam, K. P.,Kanshouwa S.(2023)A reconstruction of proto-Maringic12th International Conference of North East Indian Linguistics Society (NEILS12).Guwahati, AS, IN
van Dam, K. P.,Rupini, M.(2023)The position of Old Rupini: Analysing the linguistic evidence for a substratum reflecting Palaungic origins12th International Conference of North East Indian Linguistics Society (NEILS12).Guwahati, AS, IN
van Dam, K. P.(2023)A Bayesian phylogeny of Bodo-Garo: Testing novel methods on established groupings12th International Conference of North East Indian Linguistics Society (NEILS12).Guwahati, AS, IN
—(2023)Developing Bayesian language phylogenies from previously published data: A case study of Bodo-GaroWorkshop on New Results and Methods in Reconstructing Population History.Zürich, CH*
van Dam, K. P.,Muheim, N.(2023)Reduplicated intensifiers as Northeast areal feature3rd International Conference of Tibeto-Burman Linguistics Association of North East India (ICTiBLANEI-3).Silchar, AS, IN
van Dam, K. P.(2023)Reconstructing subtribe names for identification on early 20th century maps of the Patkai range3rd International Conference of Tibeto-Burman Linguistics Association of North East India (ICTiBLANEI-3).Silchar, AS, IN*
2022
—(2022)Semantic Splits in Northern Naga: Lexical disambiguation through partial sound changes in polysemes2nd International Conference of Tibeto-Burman Linguistics Association of North East India (ICTiBLANEI-2).Guwahati, AS, IN2021
van Dam, K. P.,Kurabe K. 倉部 慶太(2021)A comparative account of the Jinghpaw lexicon in China, Myanmar and India: Evidence of the limited effects of language contact6th Workshop on Sino-Tibetan Languages of Southwest China (STLS-2021).Kōbe, JP*van Dam, K. P.,Das, B.(2021)Reduplication of intensifiers in Ollo (Laju) and Kasik (Khapa) NocteWorkshop on ideophones and interjections.online
van Dam, K. P.,Goswami, D.(2021)Demonstratives as sentential comparatives in Pangwa Tangsa30th Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (SEALS30).online
2020
van Dam, K. P.(2020)Borrowing and re-borrowing in Southeast Asia: Complicating factors in historical reconstructionWorkshop on Tracing contact in closely related languages.Zürich, CHvan Dam, K. P.,Rahman, S. I.(2020)A diagnostic featural list for classification of varieties within Tangsa-Nocte11th International Conference of North East Indian Linguistics Society (NEILS11).Kokrajhar, AS, IN
2019
van Dam, K. P.(2019)Developing software for collaborative community-driven dictionaries of under-documented languages: An example with a large-volume Tai Phake dictionaryUppsala Language Documentation Group workshop (UPPLADOC2019).Uppsala, SEvan Dam, K. P.,Morey, S.(2019)Material culture and agriculture in Tangsa (Naga) languages – Evidence from Tai borrowings and traditional song texts24th International Conference on Historical Linguistics (ICHL24).Australian National University,Canberra, ACT, AU
van Dam, K. P.(2019)Horsing around: The Complicated State of Tangsa-Nocte *aŋ Rhymes52nd International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and Linguistics; 25th Himalayan Languages Symposium (ICSTLL52/HLS25).Sydney, NSW, AU
* Locations marked with an asterisk indicate talks which were attended remotely
invited talks
2024
Novel computational methods for analysing languages: What Bayesian inference can and can not tell us about KokborokInternational Seminar on Kokborok as a look out of Literature & Linguistics.Tripura, INMultilingual Computational LinguisticsSummer School of Linguistics.Week-long seminar taught with Johann-Mattis List & Jessica NiederČeské Budějovice, CZ
Computationally-focused fieldwork with under-described languagesMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.Leipzig, SN, DE
Bridging the gap between computational methods and language
documentationDepartment of General and Comparative Linguistics, Universität Regensberg.Regensburg, BY, DE
2023
Research Methodology: Ethnography & Anthropological LinguisticsNagaland University.Talk given to the combined departments of Linguistics, Tenyidie, and History.Kohima, NL, INDeveloping & Maintaining Community-Driven Language Resources: Dictionaries & NarrativesWorkshop on Pedagogic Development.Organised by the Wancho Literary Mission with support from the Assam Rifles.Longding, AP, IN
2022
Working with tone in Sino-Tibetan languages of Southeast AsiaAlbert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg.Linguistics Department colloquiumFreiburg im Breisgau, DEThe Cooperative Principle for academic writing: Grice's Maxims as a tool for authorsTiBLANEI.Presented at the Tibeto-Burman Linguistics Association of North East India Workshop on Academic Writing(online)
2016
A crowd-sourced collaborative dictionary project for documentation of under-described languagesUniversity of Melbourne.ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language Tools & Methods SummitMelbourne, AUModifiers of Basic Colour Terms in Tangsa-NocteLa Trobe University.Seminar series at Centre for Research on Language DiversityMelbourne, AU
2014
Fighting Language Loss in China – New Approaches to Dialect PreservationRoyal Asiatic Society.Shanghai, CNCrowd Sourced Dialect Documentation & PreservationUnited International College.TEDx talkZhuhai, Guangdong, CN
recent managed workshops
2024
Productive Signs: Evolutionary, Typological, and Cognitive Dimensions of Word Families (focus stream).21st International Congress of Linguists. with Johann-Mattis List, Jessica Neider. Poznań2023
Workshop on Linguistic Tone. 7-Day International Workshop at the Department of Tenyidie, Nagaland University. Kohima, NagalandFuture-Ready Dictionary Development.Workshop hosted by the Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art and Culture (ABILAC). with Palash Kumar Nath. Sponsored by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) North East Region.Assam
teaching
2024
Sprache in den soziale MedienDieser Kurs untersucht die verschiedenen Verwendungen von Sprache im Internet. Zu den Themen gehören, ob es einen Einfluss auf die Offline-Kommunikation durch Online-Gewohnheiten gibt, wie Menschen es schaffen, staatliche Zensurpolitik zu umgehen, die Rolle von sozialen Medien in der Entwicklung von Orthographien und allgemein die Art und Weise, wie Online-Räume eine Erweiterung von Offline-Räumen darstellen.Universität Passau 41625|2024Kulturdokumentation und FeldforschungEine Analyse der Schlüsselfaktoren für gute Feldforschungsdokumentation: Kulturelle Vermittlung, das Abwägen von Objektivität und Subjektivität sowie praktische Video- und Audioaufzeichnungsfähigkeiten. Der Kurs vermittelt wichtige Kompetenzen für Medienberichterstattung, kulturelle Dokumentation und soziologische Feldforschung.Universität Passau 41624|2024|2024
Historische LinguistikWichtige Themen umfassen Lautwandel, Analogie, Grammatikalisierung, Sprachkontakt, die vergleichende Methode und interne Rekonstruktionstechniken als Mittel zur Rekonstruktion von Protosprache und zur Nachverfolgung sprachlicher Verwandtschaften.Universität Passau 41627|2024
Sprache im Kontext von Mensch und KulturDieser Kurs erforscht die Rolle der menschlichen Sprache und Kommunikation in kulturellem Kontext sowie die Vielfalt der sprachlichen Interaktionen. Warum entwickeln sich Sprachen unterschiedlich? Welche Faktoren beeinflussen die Variation innerhalb einer Kultur? Beeinflusst deine Sprache deine Wahrnehmung der Welt? Durch die Analyse verschiedener Weltanschauungen lernen wir, wie alles begann.Universität Passau 41623|2024|2023
Kolloquium: Journal ClubJournal Club für Doktoranden/Post-docs der Multilingualen Computerlinguistik und der Digital Humanities. Universität Passau41619|2024
2023
Grundlagen des Programmierens für die LinguistikDer Kurs bietet eine Einführung in Grundlagen des Programmierens (Datenmanagement, Shellprogrammierung, Skriptsprachen wie Python und JavaScript, Visualisierung) für die vergleichende Sprachforschung. Er ist für alle Interessierten offen.Universität Passau41622|2023Grammar WritingSupervising a linguistic sketch grammar on a Sinitic variety of South China.Universität Zürich272-514|2023|2021