Prof Zhuang

Lingzi Zhuang

Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Linguistics
Language Studies

Lingzi Zhuang’s research seeks to bring formally-rigorous semantic theory to the task of understanding typologically diverse meaning domains, both synchronically and diachronically. His work has focused on speech act-level phenomena (mirativity, evidentiality, attitudinal expressions), event structure and nominal reference. He also maintains an areal-historical specialty in Sino-Tibetan languages of the Himalayas and East Asia, and a long-term commitment to language documentation in urban settings. He enjoys cycling, fountain pens, storied cities, and a good conversation.

Current Courses

Summer 2024:

  • LIN399 (Research Opportunity Program)

Fall/Winter 2024-25:

  • JAL253 (Language and Society)
  • LIN231 (Morphological Patterns in Languages)
  • LIN375 (Chinese Linguistics)
  • LIN475 (Topics in Chinese Linguistics)
  • LIN476 (Language Diversity and Language Universals)

Education

  • PhD, Linguistics with Minor in Cognitive Science, Cornell University 
  • BA, Linguistics with concentration in Computer Science, Columbia University, summa cum laude

Areas of Teaching and Research Interests

  • Formal semantics & pragmatics 
  • Diachronic change 
  • Sino-Tibetan (Trans-Himalayan) linguistics 
  • Language documentation & urban linguistic fieldwork  

Selected Publications

Articles

  • Zhuang, L. (2022). GL-impsing Bodish: Agentive transitivization prefix g- in Tamangic and Tibetan. Cahiers de Linguistique Asie Orientale, 51(2), 139–174. doi: 10.1163/19606028-bja10024 
  • Zhuang, L. (2019). Definiteness in Mandarin post-verbal bare NPs: a thematic account. Proceedings of the 55th Chicago Linguistics Society Annual Meeting.

Dissertation