Olga Fischer (; born 5 April 1951,
Hilversum
Hilversum () is a city and municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is the largest urban centre in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller towns. Hilvers ...
) is a Dutch
linguist
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
and an expert on the English language. She is Professor Emerita of Germanic Linguistics at the
University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
and former president of the
International Society for the Linguistics of English The International Society for the Linguistics of English (ISLE), founded in 2008, is a learned society of linguists. The organization's goals are to promote the study of the English Language at an international level, with a particular focus on the ...
.
Fischer has published extensively in the area of
English historical linguistics, especially historical
syntax
In linguistics, syntax () is the study of how words and morphemes combine to form larger units such as phrases and sentences. Central concerns of syntax include word order, grammatical relations, hierarchical sentence structure ( constituency) ...
, where her interests in syntactic change relate to changes in
word order
In linguistics, word order (also known as linear order) is the order of the syntactic constituents of a language. Word order typology studies it from a cross-linguistic perspective, and examines how different languages employ different orders. C ...
, comparison with developments in other
West Germanic
The West Germanic languages constitute the largest of the three branches of the Germanic family of languages (the others being the North Germanic and the extinct East Germanic languages). The West Germanic branch is classically subdivided into t ...
languages,
grammaticalization
In historical linguistics, grammaticalization (also known as grammatization or grammaticization) is a process of language change by which words representing objects and actions (i.e. nouns and verbs) become grammatical markers (such as affixes or p ...
, and the interaction between grammaticalization and
iconicity
In functional-cognitive linguistics, as well as in semiotics, iconicity is the conceived similarity or analogy between the form of a sign (linguistic or otherwise) and its meaning, as opposed to arbitrariness (which is typically assumed in s ...
in
language change
Language change is variation over time in a language's features. It is studied in several subfields of linguistics: historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, and evolutionary linguistics. Traditional theories of historical linguistics identify ...
.
[University of Amsterdam](_blank)
/ref>
Background and career
Fischer was born in Hilversum in 1951. She holds an M.A.
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in the History of English and General Linguistics from Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
(1975) and an M.A. (''doctoraalexamen'') in English Language and Literature from the University of Amsterdam (1976, cum laude). She obtained her PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
from the University of Amsterdam (1990, cum laude) with a thesis entitled ''Syntactic Change and Causation: Developments in Infinitival Constructions in English''.
Fischer was professor of Germanic Linguistics at the University of Amsterdam from 1999 until her retirement in 2016. During her academic career, she was a visiting scholar the University of Manchester
, mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity
, established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...
and a visiting professor at the University of Zurich
The University of Zürich (UZH, german: Universität Zürich) is a public research university located in the city of Zürich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 f ...
, the University of Innsbruck
The University of Innsbruck (german: Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck; la, Universitas Leopoldino Franciscea) is a public research university in Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, founded on October 15, 1669.
...
, the University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...
, and the University of Lille III
A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...
. Fischer served as President of the Societas Linguistica Europaea The Societas Linguistica Europaea (SLE) is a Europe-focused professional society for linguists. It was founded in 1966 to advance linguistics, the scientific study of human language. The SLE has over 1,000 individual members and welcomes linguists o ...
in 2011.[Presidents and Annual Meetings of the Societas Linguistica Europaea](_blank)
/ref> From 2014 to 2016 she was President of the International Society for the Linguistics of English The International Society for the Linguistics of English (ISLE), founded in 2008, is a learned society of linguists. The organization's goals are to promote the study of the English Language at an international level, with a particular focus on the ...
.["Olga Fischer president of ISLE"](_blank)
/ref>
Research
Fischer's research has focused on the history of English, in particular on morphosyntactic changes in the Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
and Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...
periods. In this field, she has worked on the development of infinitive
Infinitive (abbreviated ) is a linguistics term for certain verb forms existing in many languages, most often used as non-finite verbs. As with many linguistic concepts, there is not a single definition applicable to all languages. The word is deri ...
s, on word order changes within the noun phrase
In linguistics, a noun phrase, or nominal (phrase), is a phrase that has a noun or pronoun as its head or performs the same grammatical function as a noun. Noun phrases are very common cross-linguistically, and they may be the most frequently oc ...
, and on the role played by analogy
Analogy (from Greek ''analogia'', "proportion", from ''ana-'' "upon, according to" lso "against", "anew"+ ''logos'' "ratio" lso "word, speech, reckoning" is a cognitive process of transferring information or meaning from a particular subject ( ...
in language change.
Some of her other interests are grammaticalization
In historical linguistics, grammaticalization (also known as grammatization or grammaticization) is a process of language change by which words representing objects and actions (i.e. nouns and verbs) become grammatical markers (such as affixes or p ...
and iconicity
In functional-cognitive linguistics, as well as in semiotics, iconicity is the conceived similarity or analogy between the form of a sign (linguistic or otherwise) and its meaning, as opposed to arbitrariness (which is typically assumed in s ...
in language, and the interrelation between these two phenomena. She has also been concerned with the ontological status of grammaticalization, and whether it should be regarded as an epiphenomenon
An epiphenomenon (plural: epiphenomena) is a secondary phenomenon that occurs alongside or in parallel to a primary phenomenon. The word has two senses: one that connotes known causation and one that connotes absence of causation or reservation ...
or a separate mechanism in language change. This question is dealt with extensively in her book ''Morphosyntactic Change'' (Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2007), which compares formal and functional
Functional may refer to:
* Movements in architecture:
** Functionalism (architecture)
** Form follows function
* Functional group, combination of atoms within molecules
* Medical conditions without currently visible organic basis:
** Functional sy ...
approaches to historical linguistics and language change.[Oxford University Press](_blank)
/ref>
Fischer has co-organized several international symposia on iconicity and is one of the editors of the book series ''Iconicity in Language and Literature'', published by John Benjamins
John Benjamins Publishing Company is an independent academic publisher in social sciences and humanities with its head office in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The company was founded in the 1960s by John and Claire Benjamins and is currently managed ...
.[John Benjamins](_blank)
/ref> Since 1998 she has been the editor of the language section of ''The Year's Work in English Studies'', published by the English Association
The English Association is a subject association for English dedicated to furthering the study and enjoyment of English language and literature in schools, higher education institutes and amongst the public in general.
It was founded in 1906 by ...
.[The Year's Work in English Studies](_blank)
/ref>
Selected publications
As (co-)author
* ''Morphosyntactic Change: Functional and Formal Perspectives''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
* (with Wim van der Wurff), "Syntax", in Richard M. Hogg
Richard Milne Hogg, FBA, FRSE (20 May 1944 – 6 September 2007) was a Scottish linguist who was well known for his research on Old English, phonology, and English dialects. He received his Ph.D. from University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh University ...
and David Denison
David Michael Benjamin Denison (born 6 September 1950) is a British linguist whose work focuses on the history of the English language.
Biography
He was educated at Highgate School and St John's College, Cambridge, where he studied mathematics ...
(eds.): ''A History of the English Language''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press
A university press is an academic publishing hou ...
, 2006.
* (with Ans van Kemenade
Ans van Kemenade (born 1954 in Eindhoven) is a Dutch professor of English linguistics at the Radboud University Nijmegen specializing in the history of the English language.
Biography
Van Kemenade studied English and linguistics at Utrecht Univers ...
, Willem Koopman and Wim van der Wurff), ''The Syntax of Early English''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
* "Syntax", in Norman Blake (ed.): ''The Cambridge History of the English Language, Vol. II: 1066-1474''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
* ''Syntactic Change and Causation: Developments in Infinitival Constructions in English''. University of Amsterdam dissertation, 1990.
As co-editor
* (with Muriel Norde and Harry Perridon), ''Up and Down the Cline – The Nature of Grammaticalization''. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2004.
* (with Max Nänny), ''The Motivated Sign''. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2001.
* (with Anette Rosenbach and Dieter Stein), ''Pathways of Change: Grammaticalization in English''. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2000.
* (with Max Nänny), ''Form Miming Meaning: Iconicity in Language and Literature''. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 1999.
References
External links
Official website
Iconicity research project
Book series ''Iconicity in Language and Literature''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Olga
1951 births
People from Hilversum
Living people
Linguists from the Netherlands
Academic staff of the University of Amsterdam
University of Amsterdam alumni
Alumni of Newcastle University
Historical linguists
Women linguists