Andrew Simpson

Professor of Linguistics
Andrew Simpson
Email andrew.simpson@usc.edu Office GFS 310D Office Phone (213) 740-3640

Research & Practice Areas

Comparative syntax of East Asian, Southeast Asian, and South Asian languages: Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Burmese, Hindi, Bengali.

Education

  • Ph.D. Linguistics, University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), 12/1995
  • B.A. Modern Languages (French and German), Bristol University, UK, 6/1984
    • Postdoc, Frankfurt University, 1996-1998
  • Tenure Track Appointments

    • Reader in Linguistics, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), 09/01/1999 – 12/31/2006
  • Book

    • Simpson, A. (2022). New explorations in Chinese theoretical syntax: studies in honor of Yen-Hui Audrey Li. New York: John Benjamins.
    • Simpson, A. (2019). Language and society: an introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, Andrew, Audrey Li and Dylan Tsai (Ed.). (2014). Chinese syntax in a cross-linguistic perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, Andrew, C.-T. James Huang and Y.-H. Audrey Li (Ed.). (2014). Handbook of Chinese Linguistics. Oxford: Blackwell.
    • Simpson, Andrew Alexander, and Merchant, Jason (Ed.). (2012). Sluicing: Cross-linguistic Perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, Andrew Alexander (Ed.). (2008). Language and National Identity in Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A. (2007). Language and National Identity in Asia. (Simpson, Andrew Alexander, Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A., Austin, P. A. (2007). Endangered Languages. Linguistische Berichte.
    • Simpson, A. A., Li, Y. (2003). Functional Structure(s), Form and Interpretation: Perspectives from Asian Languages. Routledge-Curzon.
    • Simpson, A. A. (2000). Wh-Movement and the Theory of Feature-Checking. John Benjamins.

    Book Chapters

    • Simpson, A., Wu, Z. (2022). Constraints on the representation of anaphoric definiteness in Mandarin Chinese: a reassessment. New explorations in Chinese theoretical syntax: st pp. 301-330. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Link
    • Simpson, A. (2021). Language and the building of nations in Southeast Asia. The languages and linguistics of mainland Southeas pp. 927-955. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. Link
    • Simpson, A., Syed, S. (2020). Parallels in the structure of phases in clausal and nominal projections. Recent developments in phase theory pp. 61-88. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
    • Simpson, A., Syed, S. (2020). Parallels in the structure of phases in clausal and nominal projections. Recent developments in phase theory pp. 61-88. bERLIN: De Gruyter Mouton. Link
    • Simpson, A., Ngo, B., Kaiser, E. (2019). Effects of grammatical roles and parallelism on referential form production in Vietnamese spoken and written narratives. Interdisciplinary perspectives on Vietnamese Lingu pp. 275-299. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Link
    • Simpson, A. (2016). Chinese Language and National Identity. The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Chinese Language pp. 90-101. London: Routledge. Link
    • Simpson, A. (2014). Prosody and Syntax. Handbook of Chinese Linguistics pp. 465-491. Blackwell. Link
    • Simpson, A. (2014). Sentence-Final Particles. Handbook of Chinese Linguistics pp. 156-179. Oxford: Blackwell. Link
    • Simpson, A. A. (2014). Verbal answers to yes/no questions, focus and ellipsis. Chinese Syntax in a Cross-Linguistic Perspective Oxford: Oxford University Press. Link
    • Simpson, A. A., Ho, T. (2013). Vietnamese and the typology of passive constructions. The Linguistics of Vietnamese pp. 155-185. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Link
    • Simpson, A. A., Bhattacharya, T. (2012). Sluicing in Indo-Aryan: an investigation of Bangla and Hindi. Sluicing: cross-linguistic perspectives pp. 183-208. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Link
    • Simpson, A. A. (2008). The grammaticalization of clausal nominalizers in Burmese. (Vol. Rethinking Grammaticalization) pp. 265-288. Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Link
    • Simpson, A. A. (2008). Introduction. (Vol. Language and National Identity in Africa) pp. 1-25. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A., Oyetade, A. (2008). Nigeria: Ethnolinguistic Competition in the Giant of Africa. (Vol. Language and National Identity in Africa) pp. 172-198. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A., Bhattacharya, T. (2007). Argument prominence and the nature of superiority violations. (Vol. Argument Structure) pp. 175-212. Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Link
    • Simpson, A. A. (2007). Language and National Identity in Asia: a Thematic Introduction. (Vol. Language and National Identity in Asia) pp. 1-31. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A. (2007). Hong Kong. (Vol. Language and National Identity in Asia) pp. 168-185. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A. (2007). Taiwan. (Vol. Language and National Identity in Asia) pp. 235-259. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A. (2007). Indonesia. (Vol. Language and National Identity in Asia) pp. 312-36. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A. (2007). Singapore. (Vol. Language and National Identity in Asia) pp. 374-90. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A., Thammasathien, N. (2007). Thailand and Laos. (Vol. Language and National Identity in Asia) pp. 391-414. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. A., Watkins, J. (2006). Constituent Focus in Burmese: a Phonetic and Perceptual Study. (Vol. 27-66) Canberra: Studies in Burmese Linguistics/Pacific Linguistics. Link
    • Simpson, A. A., Bhattacharya, T. (2005). Sluicing in Indo-Aryan: an investigation of Bangla and Hindi. (Vol. Sluicing in a cross-linguistic perspective) Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Simpson, A. (2005). Classifiers and DP Structure in Southeast Asian Languages. The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Syntax pp. 806-38. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Link
    • Simpson, A. A. (2004). The EPP, Fossilized Movement, and Reanalysis. (Vol. 161-190) Diachronic Clues to Synchronic Grammar/John Benjamins. Link
    • Simpson, A. A. (2003). On the Status of Modifying DE and the Structure of the Chinese DP. (Vol. 74-101) Stanford: On the Formal Way to Chinese Languages/CSLI. Link
    • Simpson, A. A. (2003). Empty determiners and nominalization in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. In: Functional Structure(s), Form and Intepretation: perspectives from East Asian Languages (eds. A. Li and A. Simpson). First pp. 131-161. London: CurzonRoutledge.
    • Simpson, A. (2002). On Covert Movement and LF. The Minimalist Parameter pp. 191-204. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Link
    • Simpson, A. A., Wu, Z. (2001). The Grammaticalization of Formal Nouns and Nominalizers in Chinese, Japanese and Korean. In: ‘Language Change in East Asia’. pp. 250-283. London: Curzon.

    Journal Article

    • Pham, G., Simpson, A., Nguyen, K. (2023). Vietnamese children with and without DLD: Classifier use and grammaticality over time. Journal of Communication Disorders. (101)
    • Simpson, A. (2021). Revisiting the structure of nominals in Japanese and Korean: mixed headedness vs. pure head-finality. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory. Vol. 40, pp. 573-597. Link
    • Simpson, A., Park, S. (2019). Strict vs. free word order patterns in Korean nominal phrases and Cyclic Linearization. Studia Linguistica. Vol. 73 (1), pp. 139-174. Link
    • Simpson, A., Ngo, B. (2018). Classifier syntax in Vietnamese. Journal of East Asian Linguistics. Vol. 27 (3), pp. 211-246. Link
    • Simpson, A. (2017). Bare classifier/noun alternations in the Jinyun (Wu) variety of Chinese and the encoding of definiteness. Linguistics. Vol. 55 (2), pp. 305-332. Link
    • Syed, S., Simpson, A. (2017). On the DP/NP status of nominal projections in Bangla: Consequences for the theory of phases. Glossa. Vol. 2 (68), pp. 1-24. Link
    • Simpson, A., Biswas, P. (2016). Bare nominals, classifiers and the representation of definiteness in Bangla. Linguistic Analysis. Vol. 40 (3), pp. 167-198. Link
    • Simpson, A., Syed, S. (2016). Blocking effects of higher numerals in Bangla: a phase-based analysis. Linguistic Inquiry. Vol. 47 (4), pp. 754-763. Link
    • Simpson, A., Li, Y., Wu, Z. (2016). Grammatical roles, coherence relations, and the interpretation of pronouns in Chinese. Lingua Sinica. Vol. 2 (2), pp. 1-20. Link
    • Simpson, A. A., Choudhury, A. (2015). The non-uniform syntax of post-verbal elements in SOV languages: Hindi, Bangla and the rightward scrambling debate. Linguistic Inquiry. Vol. 46, pp. 533-551. Link
    • Simpson, A. A. (2014). Finiteness, negation and the directionality of headedness in Bangla. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory. Vol. 32, pp. 231-161. Link
    • Simpson, A. A., Choudhury, A., Menon, M. (2013). Argument ellipsis and the licensing of covert nominals in Bangla, Hindi and Malayalam. Lingua. pp. 123-138. Link
    • Simpson, A. (2012). The Silence of the Bucks: A Note on Kayne’s “Grand and its Silent Entourage”. Studies in Chinese Linguistics. Vol. 33 (2), pp. 87-101. Link
    • Simpson, A. A. (2011). Floating quantifiers in Burmese and Thai. Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society. Vol. 4 (1), pp. 115-46. Link
    • Simpson, A. A., Bhattacharya, T. (2011). Diagnosing double object constructions in Bangla/Bengali. Lingua. Vol. 121, pp. 1067-82. Link
    • Simpson, A. A., Soh, H., Nemoto, H. (2011). Bare classifiers and definiteness: a cross-linguistic investigation. Studies in Language. Vol. 35, pp. 168-93. Link
    • Simpson, A., Bhattacharya, T. (2003). Obligatory Overt Wh-Movement in a Wh-in-Situ Language. Linguistics Inquiry. Vol. 34 (1) Link
    • Simpson, A., Wu, Z. (2002). Agreement, Shells, and Focus. Language. Vol. 78 (2), pp. 287-313. Link
    • Simpson, A., Wu, Z. (2002). From D to T – Determiner Incorporation and the Creation of Tense. Journal of East Asian Linguistics. Vol. 11, pp. 169-209. Link
    • Simpson, A., Wu, Z. (2002). IP-Raising, Tone Sandhi and the Creation of S-Final Particles: Evidence for Cyclic Spell-Out. Journal of East Asian Linguistics. Vol. 11 (1), pp. 67-99. Link
    • Simpson, A. (2001). Definiteness Agreement and the Chinese DP. Language and Linguistics. Vol. 2 (1), pp. 125-156. Link
    • Simpson, A. (2001). Focus, Presupposition and Light Predicate Raising in East and Southeast Asia. Journal of East Asian Linguistics. Vol. 10 (2), pp. 89-128. Link

    Proceedings

    • Simpson, A. A., Hwang, H., Ipek, C. (2008). The comparative syntax of ditransitive constructions in Japanese, Korean and Turkish. In R. Vermeulen (Ed.), Boston, MA. MIT Working Papers in Linguistics.
    • USC or School/Dept Award for Teaching, USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences General Education Teaching Award, 2017-2018
    • USC or School/Dept Award for Teaching, USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences General Education Teaching Award, 2009-2010
  • Editorships and Editorial Boards

    • Joint General Editor, Journal of East Asian Linguistics, 2003 –
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