Due 12/2/98.
In answering the following questions, use the on-line edition of Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Barbara F. Grimes, Ed. (Thirteenth Edition, 1996) -- or the paper edition if you prefer. Use the searching capabilities of the on-line edition (or the indices of the paper edition), which allow you to search for most text strings that are found in Ethnologue entries, including names of particular languages, language families, typological characteristics, and so on.
1. In the discussion of word-order typology on p. 98 of the Cambridge Encyclopedia, Crystal names six languages as having primarily object-initial word order. Which countries are these languages spoken in? How many speakers do these languages currently have?
2. What other languages does Ethnologue list as having object-initial word orders? (hint: look at the entries you found for question (1) to see what strings to search for).
3. How many languages does Ethnologue list as having object before subject? (see Fromkin & Rodman pp. 478-479).
4. How many living languages does Ethnologue cite for the United States? What number of first language speakers of English does Ethnologue cite for the U.S., and what proportion of the population is this? Which language has the next largest number of first language speakers in the U.S.? How many U.S. (first-language) speakers and what proportion of the population does it have?
5. What are the (more) standard names for Wendish? What country is it spoken in? What is its largest (in terms of number of speakers) close relative (in terms of language family)?
6. How many first-language speakers of Vlach are listed for the U.S.? What is the common name for the population that speaks Vlach? Is Vlach more closely related to Romanian, to Russian, or to Hindi? Explain.