Michael Cahill
Contact
7500 West Camp Wisdom Road
Dallas, TX 75236
U.S.A.
Phone: +1 972 708 7328
Email:
Degrees
- Ph.D., Linguistics, Ohio State University, 1999
- M.A., Linguistics, University of Texas at Arlington, 1985
- B.S., Biochemistry, Iowa State University, 1977
Current positions
- Certified Senior Linguistics Consultant, SIL International, 2012–
- Editor-in-Chief, SIL Global Publishing Services, 2010–
- Member, Linguistic Society of America (LSA) Committee on Endangered Languages and their Preservation, 2010–
- Reviewer for Linguistic Discovery, 2005–
- Reviewer for Phonology, 2002–
- External examiner, University of Texas at Arlington, 2000–
- Adjunct Associate Professor of Language Development, Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics (GIAL), 2000–
- Reviewer for Journal of West African Linguistics, 1998–
- Teacher, various courses, GIAL, 1998–
Other professional experience and service
- Member, Linguistic Society of America (LSA) Ethics Committee, 2010–2012
- Chair, LSA Committee on Endangered Languages and their Preservation, 2004
- Organizer, Symposium on Endangered Languages and Linguistic Theory, LSA Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, January 8–11, 2004
- Chair, LSA Committee on Endangered Languages and their Preservation, 2003
- Member, LSA Committee on Endangered Languages and their Preservation, 2001-2003
- International Linguistics Coordinator, 1999–2010
- Linguistics teaching:
- GIAL: Readings in Applied Linguistics [AL5394]: Bantu Linguistics, 2009; Gur Tone, 2010
- GIAL: Seminar in Linguistics: Tone [AL5398], 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012
- GIAL: Advanced Phonology [AL5396], Spring 2000
- GIAL: Phonetics [AL4302], Fall 2000
- Ohio State University: Introductory Linguistics [Ling. 201], six quarters: 1995–1998
- TXSIL: Field Methods (one semester course head), 1993–1994
- Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy, and Bible Translation (GILLBT), 1983–1993:
- Acting Director, 3 months, 1993
- Associate Director for Research and Linguistics, 1992–1993
- Linguistics Coordinator, 1989–1993
- Fieldwork, literacy/translation, Koma language, Ghana, 1986–1993
- Deputy Director, 1985–1986
- Business Manager, 1983–1984
- President, Newell-Providence Education Association, 1981–1982
- Teacher, chemistry/physics/math, Newell-Providence High School, Newell, Iowa 1977–1982
Professional memberships
- Linguistic Society of America life member, 1998–
- Phi Kappa Phi life member, 1997–
- West African Linguistic Society, 1994–
Language proficiencies
- English: ILR 5
Research interests
- African languages
- Phonology (tone, ATR vowel harmony, Feature Geometry, Optimality Theory)
- Tone universals
- Historical linguistics
- Labialvelar stops (phonetics, phonology, historical development)
Selected publications
Cahill, Michael. To appear. Non-linguistic factors in orthography development. In Michael Cahill and Keren Rice (eds.), Developing orthographies for unwritten languages. Dallas: SIL International.
Cahill, Michael. 2012. Polar question intonation in Kͻnni. In Michael R. Marlo, Nikki B. Adams, Christopher R. Green, Michelle Morrison, and Tristan M. Purvis (eds.), Selected Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Conference on African Linguistics: African languages in context, College Park, Md., 10–12 June 2011, 90–98. Somerville, Mass.: Cascadilla Proceedings Project. www.lingref.com/cpp/acal/42/paper2761.pdf.
Cahill, Michael. 2009. Konni vowel feature spread across consonants. In Masangu Matondo, Fiona McLaughlin, and Eric Potsdam (eds.), Selected Proceedings of the 38th Annual Conference on African Linguistics: Linguistic theory and African language documentation, Gainesville, Fla. 22–25 March 2007,17–25. Somerville, Mass.: Cascadilla Proceedings Project. www.lingref.com/cpp/acal/38/paper2132.pdf.
Cahill, Michael. 2008. Why labial-velar stops merge to g͡b. Phonology 25(3):379–398.
Cahill, Michael. 2007. Aspects of the morphology and phonology of Konni. Dallas: SIL International.
Cahill, Michael. 2004. Tonal polarity in Konni nouns. Studies in African Linguistics 33(1):1–33.
Cahill, Michael. 1999. Aspects of the phonology of labial-velar stops. Studies in African Languages 28(2):155–184.
Cahill, Michael. 1999. From endangered to less endangered: Case histories from Brazil and Papua New Guinea. SIL Electronic Working Papers 1996-001. www.sil.org/silewp/1999/006/.
Cahill, Michael, and Elke Karan. 2008. Factors in designing effective orthographies for unwritten languages. SIL Electronic Working Papers 2008-001. www.sil.org/silewp/abstract.asp?ref=2008-001.
Other
Cahill, Michael. 2011. Non-linguistic factors in orthography development. Paper presented at the Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, Penn. January 6–9, 2011. www.sil.org/linguistics/2011LSASymposium/downloads/LSA_Orthog_Symp_-_Non-Linguistic_Factors.pdf.
Cahill, Michael. 2010. Tonal polarity and dissimilation are distinct. Paper presented at the Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting, Baltimore, Md. January 7–10, 2010.
Cahill, Michael. 2008. The phonetics and phonology of labial-velars in Dagbani. Paper presented at the 39th Annual Conference on African Linguistics, Athens, Ga. April 18–20, 2008.
Cahill, Michael. 2005. The nature of labialvelar obstruents. Paper presented at the Association for Linguistic Typology 6th Biennial Meeting, Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia. July 21–25, 2005.
Cahill, Michael. 2005. Perception of Yoruba word-initial [g͡b] and [b]. Paper presented at the 36th Annual Conference on African Linguistics, Statesboro, Ga. April 1–2, 2005.
Cahill, Michael. 2002. Dissimilation of /r/ in Konni. Paper presented at the Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting, San Francisco, Calif. January 3–7, 2002.
Cahill, Michael. 2000. Tonal diversity in languages of Papua New Guinea. Paper presented at the Tone and Pitch Accent Conference, Tromsø, Norway. June 5–7, 2000.