Professor of Linguistics

Research Interests

Language universals and their explanation; comparative syntactic theory; the expression of information structure in natural language; incomplete acquisition (heritage languages); Austronesian languages (esp. Malagasy, Maori) and languages of the Caucasus (esp. Tsez, Kabardian).

Representative Publications

"Word class distinctions in an incomplete grammar" (2005) In Dorit Ravid and Hava Bat-Zeev Shyldkrot, eds. Perspectives on language and language development, 419-436. Dordrecht: Kluwer.

"The syntax and semantics of wanting in Indonesian". Lingua 1369 (2007).

"Linguistic Typology and Theory Construction: Common Challenges Ahead". Linguistic Typology 11 (2007).

"Heritage Languages:  In the 'Wild' and in the classroom".  Language and Linguistic Compass 1/5 (2007).

"Does headedness affect processing? ". Journal of Linguistics 45 (2009)

"Romanian as a two-gender language". In D. Gerdts, J. Moore, M.Polinsky (eds.). Hypothesis A/Hypothesis B. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2009.

Mailing Address
Department of Linguistics
314 Boylston Hall
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA 02138

Office Telephone: (617) 495-9339
Email: polinsky@fas.harvard.edu

*Fall 2009 Office Hours

Tuesdays, 1:30-3pm and by appointment