John M. Lipski
Encyclopedia
John M. Lipski is an American linguist who is most widely known for his work on Spanish and Portuguese dialectology
and language variation. His research also focuses on Spanish phonology
, the linguistic aspects of bilingualism and code-switching
, African influences on Spanish and Portuguese, and pidgin
and creole
studies. He is currently the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Spanish Linguistics in the Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at the Pennsylvania State University
. He previously served as the head of the same department from 2001 to 2005.
(1971). He earned both his MA (1972) and his PhD (1974) in Romance linguistics at the University of Alberta
, with extensive training in classic Romance philology
and European structuralism
. His doctoral dissertation was a comparative historical phonology of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
Following the completion of his PhD, Lipski worked as a Spanish instructor at Kean College of New Jersey (1973–1975), where his interactions with Cuban and Puerto Rican Spanish speakers would eventually lead him to study Spanish dialectal variation and sociolinguistics. He later worked at Michigan State University
(1975–1981), first as an assistant professor and later as a tenured associate professor (1978–1981). Lipski also worked as an associate professor at the University of Houston
(1981–1988), as a Professor of Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Florida
(1988–1992), and as a Professor of Spanish linguistics at the University of New Mexico
(1992–2000).
He currently works as a Professor of Spanish linguistics at the Pennsylvania State University
(2000–present), and he is a core faculty member on Penn State's Center for Language Science's National Science Foundation
PIRE grant.
Lipski is married and has two children.
Instituto Nacional de Cultura, in press.
Afro-Bolivian Spanish. Frankfurt and Madrid: Vervuert/Iberoamericana, 2008.
Varieties of Spanish in the United States. Georgetown University Press, 2008.
A history of Afro-Hispanic language contact: 5 centuries and 5 continents. Cambridge
University Press, 2005.
El español de América. Madrid: Cátedra, 1996. Japanese translation 2004, Editorial Phoenix.
Latin American Spanish. London: Longmans, 1994.
El español de Malabo: procesos fonéticos/fonológicos e implicaciones dialectológicas. Madrid/Malabo: Centro Cultural Hispano-Guineano, 1990.
The Language of the Isleños of Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press,
1990.
The Speech of the Negros Congos of Panama: a Vestigial Afro-Hispanic Creole. Amsterdam:
Benjamins, 1989.
Fonética y fonología del español de Honduras. Tegucigalpa, Editorial Guaymuras, 1987.
The Spanish of Equatorial Guinea. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1985. Linguistic Aspects of Spanish-English Language Shifting. Arizona State University, Latin American Studies Center, 1985.
(with Eduardo Neale-Silva), El español en síntesis. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston,
1981.
Dialectology
Dialectology is the scientific study of linguistic dialect, a sub-field of sociolinguistics. It studies variations in language based primarily on geographic distribution and their associated features...
and language variation. His research also focuses on Spanish phonology
Spanish phonology
This article is about the phonology and phonetics of the Spanish language. Unless otherwise noted, statements refer to Castilian Spanish, the standard dialect used in Spain on radio and television. For historical development of the sound system see History of Spanish...
, the linguistic aspects of bilingualism and code-switching
Code-switching
In linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
, African influences on Spanish and Portuguese, and pidgin
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
and creole
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
studies. He is currently the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Spanish Linguistics in the Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. He previously served as the head of the same department from 2001 to 2005.
Biography
Lipski studied Spanish and mathematics as an undergraduate at Rice UniversityRice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
(1971). He earned both his MA (1972) and his PhD (1974) in Romance linguistics at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, with extensive training in classic Romance philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
and European structuralism
Structuralism
Structuralism originated in the structural linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure and the subsequent Prague and Moscow schools of linguistics. Just as structural linguistics was facing serious challenges from the likes of Noam Chomsky and thus fading in importance in linguistics, structuralism...
. His doctoral dissertation was a comparative historical phonology of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
Following the completion of his PhD, Lipski worked as a Spanish instructor at Kean College of New Jersey (1973–1975), where his interactions with Cuban and Puerto Rican Spanish speakers would eventually lead him to study Spanish dialectal variation and sociolinguistics. He later worked at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
(1975–1981), first as an assistant professor and later as a tenured associate professor (1978–1981). Lipski also worked as an associate professor at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
(1981–1988), as a Professor of Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
(1988–1992), and as a Professor of Spanish linguistics at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
(1992–2000).
He currently works as a Professor of Spanish linguistics at the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
(2000–present), and he is a core faculty member on Penn State's Center for Language Science's National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
PIRE grant.
Lipski is married and has two children.
Books Written
El habla de los Cognos de Panamá en el contexto de la lingüística afrohispánica. Panamá:Instituto Nacional de Cultura, in press.
Afro-Bolivian Spanish. Frankfurt and Madrid: Vervuert/Iberoamericana, 2008.
Varieties of Spanish in the United States. Georgetown University Press, 2008.
A history of Afro-Hispanic language contact: 5 centuries and 5 continents. Cambridge
University Press, 2005.
El español de América. Madrid: Cátedra, 1996. Japanese translation 2004, Editorial Phoenix.
Latin American Spanish. London: Longmans, 1994.
El español de Malabo: procesos fonéticos/fonológicos e implicaciones dialectológicas. Madrid/Malabo: Centro Cultural Hispano-Guineano, 1990.
The Language of the Isleños of Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press,
1990.
The Speech of the Negros Congos of Panama: a Vestigial Afro-Hispanic Creole. Amsterdam:
Benjamins, 1989.
Fonética y fonología del español de Honduras. Tegucigalpa, Editorial Guaymuras, 1987.
The Spanish of Equatorial Guinea. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1985. Linguistic Aspects of Spanish-English Language Shifting. Arizona State University, Latin American Studies Center, 1985.
(with Eduardo Neale-Silva), El español en síntesis. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston,
1981.