Grammatical relations such as subject and object are central concepts in the description of human languages, because they are crucial inthe encoding of form-meaning correspondences. Such relations, particularly subject, are difficult to define formally, since all languages permit some divergence of external features and grammatical/semantic role, such as passive clauses. Subjects in Hindi-Urdu are an extreme case of such divergence, as both agent and dative-experiencer phrases may have the external coding of non-subjects, but retain syntactic and semantic features of subjects. Sentence data from Hindi-Urdu will be used to explore the syntax of the language, particular with reference to dative experiencers, and to find an explanation for the mixed behavior of subject-like phrases. This will be based on the hypothesis that the level of Logical Form is where syntactic restrictions are stated. As the statement of form/function correspondence is an issue on which current syntactic theories differ, the analysis of dativesubject phrases in this language has interesting implications for syntactic theory and language universals. Dr. Davison will teach two courses in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics and collaborate in research on grammatical relations and linguistic theory. She will also organize a colloquium on factors adversely affecting the careers of women in linguistics. A report of the result of this meeting will be circulated. This project furthers VPW program objectives which are (1) to provide opportunities for women to advance their careers in engineering and in the disciplines of science supported by NSF and (2) to encourage women to pursue careers in science and engineering by providing greater visibility for women scientists and engineers employed in industry, government, and academic institutions. By encouraging the participation of women in science, it is a valuable investment in the Nation's future scientific vitality.
