Anna Laoide-Kemp

PhD Linguistics & English Language

  • Linguistics and English Language
  • School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

Contact details

Address

Street

Dugald Stewart Building

City
3 Charles Street, Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9AD

Background

I am a PhD student in PPLS, working in the field of Theoretical Linguistics. My research interests include phonological and morphosyntactic theory, with a particular focus on the interface between these modules. My PhD project is on the analysis of Irish initial consonant mutations (ICM) within a modular grammatical architecture.

I have a diverse academic background, having initially studied Theoretical Physics and Mathematics in university before moving into Linguistics for my master's degree. While doing my master's, I became interested in initial consonant mutation (ICM) in the Celtic languages.  I wrote my MPhil dissertation on this topic, looking at how interactions between grammatical modules could be modelled within the framework of Optimality Theory. I am currently working towards a PhD, continuing my research into the theory of Irish initial consonant mutation, but this time with a focus on analysing ICM within a strictly modular grammatical architecture.

CV

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Qualifications

MPhil Linguistics (Trinity College Dublin): "An Optimality Theory Approach to Initial Consonant Mutation in Modern Irish"

MASt Mathematics (University of Cambridge)

BA (Hons) Theoretical Physics (Trinity College Dublin): "Nonlinear Electromagnetism in General Relativity"

Responsibilities & affiliations

LEL Tutor Representative (PPLS, 2024-2025)

Co-chair of LELPGC22 (6th-8th June 2022)

General Secretary of Language Lunch @ Edinburgh (2021-2022)

Undergraduate teaching

In 2024/25 I am tutoring on the following courses:

  • Syntax: Theory and Practice (LASC10084)
  • PPLS Skills Centre: one-on-one academic writing appointments

I have previously tutored on the following courses:

  • LEL1B: Linguistics and English Language 1B (LASC08023) (2022)
  • LEL2A: Linguistic Theory and the Structure of English (LASC08017) (2022, 2023)
  • LEL2D: Cross-Linguistic Variation: Limits and Theories (LASC08020) (2022, 2024)
  • PPLS Skills Centre: one-on-one academic writing appointments (2022-present)

Postgraduate teaching

In 2024/25 I am tutoring on the following courses:

  • Introduction to Syntax (MSc) (LASC11085)
  • Quantitative Methods in Linguistics and English Language (MSc) (LASC11187)

I have also contributed guest lectures on the following courses:

  • Introduction to Phonology (MSc) (LASC11089): 3 lectures
  • Introduction to Syntax (MSc) (LASC11085): 1 lecture (co-taught with Irish Kamil and John Hotson)
  • Syntax: Theory and Practice (MSc/Honours) (LASC10084): 1 lecture

Research summary

Linguistic theory, Celtic linguistics, phonology, morphosyntax, modularity, interactions between grammatical modules

Current research interests

I am interested in the analysis of initial consonant mutation (ICM) in Irish and the other Celtic languages within a strictly modular grammatical architecture. ICM is the systematic phonological alternation of word-initial consonants in a range of morphosyntactically defined environments. Since it combines elements of phonology and morphosyntax in non-trivial ways, it is an ideal test bed for linguistic theory. In particular, an in-depth analysis of the system can inform our understanding of the interface between these two components of the grammar. Working within a strictly modular framework, my PhD project aims to tease apart the roles played by each grammatical module in forming the highly complex ICM system that is found in Irish. Considerable promise has been shown by autosegmental models, in which ICM is caused by floating phonological material that latches onto the initial consonant of a word to produce the corresponding mutated form. I am currently trying to identify and classify the sources of this mutation-triggering autosegmental material, focusing specifically on mutation in the Irish clause.

Organiser

I co-chaired the Linguistics and English Language Postgraduate Conference 2022 (LELPGC22), which was held in the University of Edinburgh, 6th-8th June 2022.

Papers delivered

Talk to be given at GLOW (Frankfurt am Main, March 2025): "Preverbal d' and its interactions with the initial consonant mutation system in Irish"

Poster to be presented at  Exploring Boundaries: Phonological Domains in the Languages of the World (UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, March 2025): "Initial consonant mutation patterns as evidence for domain structure in Irish"

Talk given for the Atelier de Phonologie (online - hosted in Paris, October 2024): "Preverbal d’ and its interactions with the initial consonant mutation system in Irish"

Talk given at the 17th conference on Syntax, Phonology and Language Analysis (SinFonIJA 17) (University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia, September 2024): "Resolving the spell-out timing paradox in Irish historic tense lenition"

Talk given at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the LAGB (Newcastle University, August 2024): "Resolving the spell-out timing paradox in Irish historic tense lenition"

Talk given at Workshop on Myopia in Grammar (Universität Leipzig, June 2024): "Myopic effects in the Irish initial consonant mutation system"

Talk given at LELPGC24 (University of Edinburgh, June 2024): "Two sources of initial consonant mutation in the Irish clause"

Talk given at the 33rd Colloquium on Generative Grammar (CGG) (University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, May 2024): "Two sources of initial consonant mutation in the Irish clause"

Talk given at the Manchester Forum in Linguistics (MFiL) (University of Manchester, April 2024): "Two sources of initial consonant mutation in the Irish clause"

Talk given at the 21st Sprachwissenschaftliche Tagung für Promotionsstudierende (STaPs-21) (online - hosted by Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, February 2024): "A strictly modular analysis of initial consonant mutation in Irish"

Talk given at the Western Conference on Linguistics (WECOL) (online - hosted by California State University,  Fresno, November 2023): "Irish initial consonant mutations: disentangling phonology from morphosyntax"

Talk given at LELPGC23 (University of Edinburgh, June 2023): "Irish initial consonant mutations: disentangling phonology from morphosyntax"

Poster presented at ACTL Summer School 2022 (University of York, June 2022): "Irish initial consonant mutations: disentangling phonology from morphosyntax"