By Jan Voskuil
Topics ranged from subgrouping issues via the nature of
individual affixes to typological similarities between Tagalog
and Icelandic. Notwithstanding the great differences in
background of the various speakers, there was an excellent
atmosphere of friendly and serious cooperation. It was a workshop
in the real sense of the word: previously unknown data were
presented, old ideas were re-evaluated against new insights, and
everyone learned useful, new things about the fascinating enigmas
of Austronesian voice.
Apart from the speakers, there were not too many people in the
audience - there was nobody from the Indonesian linguistics
department, which was a pity. On the other hand, the absence of
a large crowd contributed significantly to an informal mood ideal
for study and making friends.
The programme was quite full, not to say exhausting, but a
delicious Austronesian dinner at the end of the long day - Padang
food, a real treat - restored everyone to their senses. It is a
very good thing that the organizers of the SLE conference made
this workshop possible: good for its participants, good for
Austronesian linguistics.
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