Daniel L. Finer

Professor
Ph.D. 1984, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Email: daniel.finer@stonybrook.edu
Tel. (631) 632-7782

Daniel Finer's research focuses on syntax, including the acquisition of syntax in both first and second language learning. He is particularly interested in integrating insights from less studied languages into a universal theory of linguistic structure. He has worked on native American languages and languages of New Guinea, and his work in recent years has concentrated on the structure of the Austronesian languages of southwestern Sulawesi (Indonesia). These languages have been a rich source of data bearing on his theoretical interests in long-distance dependencies, word order, switch-reference systems, and the interpretation and distribution of pronominal elements. His research has been supported by NSF and NEH, and current projects include investigation of the ways in which syntactic structure interacts with the phonological and semantic components of the grammar.

Selected Publications

• Finer, Daniel and Hasan Basri (to appear).  "Clause Truncation in South Sulawesi: Restructuring and Nominalization," Proceedings of  AFLA-26.  Pacfic Linguistics Press.
• Finer, Daniel . 2013. "Deriving Turkana Word Order: Head-movement and Topicality," in Orie, O. and K. Wu, eds Selected Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Conference on African Linguistics. Cascadilla Press.
• Basri, H., E. Broselow, and D. Finer.  2012.  The end of the word in Makassar languages.  In T. Borowsky, S. Kawahara, T. Shinya and M. Sugahara (eds.) Prosody Matters: Essays in honor of Lisa Selkirk, 111-147.  London: Equinox Publishing Ltd. 

Selected Presentations

• Finer, Daniel (2013) "Low Topic and Prominence Relations in Turkana," Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium, Cologne, May 2013.
• Finer, Daniel. (2012) "The Absolutive Clitic in South Sulawesi: position, host, and spellout" Clitics and Beyond, Goettingen University, Goettingen Germany. May 2012
• Finer, Daniel (2012) "Deriving Turkana Word Order: Head Movement and Topicality" 43rd Annual Conference on African Linguistics, Tulane University, New Orleans. March 2012