This dissertation examines the Malayic varieties spoken in Kelantan and Terengganu, two Malaysian states located on the northeast coast of the Malay Peninsula. It focuses on three varieties, namely... Show moreThis dissertation examines the Malayic varieties spoken in Kelantan and Terengganu, two Malaysian states located on the northeast coast of the Malay Peninsula. It focuses on three varieties, namely Kelantan Malay, Coastal Terengganu Malay and Inland Terengganu Malay, all belonging to the Malayic subgroup within the Austronesian language family. On the basis of data gathered through linguistic fieldwork undertaken by the author, this dissertation provides the most comprehensive description of these languages to date and offers an analysis of their historical developments.The three Malayic varieties under investigation display notable similarities in their phonological and morphosyntactic patterns, characterised by significant phonological and morphological reduction. Despite these common features, however, it is concluded that these varieties do not form a discrete subgroup within the Malayic languages. The common changes observed in their consonant systems must have followed distinct developments in the vowel systems. Furthermore, the morphological reduction was primarily driven by internal phonological changes, and no clear traces of substrate influences have been found.It is proposed that Inland Terengganu Malay represents a separate variety, distinct from Kelantan Malay and Coastal Terengganu Malay. A two-wave migration pattern is suggested: speakers of Inland Terengganu Malay likely arrived in the region earlier, whereas the speakers of Kelantan Malay and Coastal Terengganu Malay arrived at a later stage. Show less
The book analyzes the manuscript on the Dutch language attributed to the Japanese scholar of Dutch Shizuki Tadao (1760 – 1806). It is often argued that the Japanese scholars’ knowledge of Dutch was... Show moreThe book analyzes the manuscript on the Dutch language attributed to the Japanese scholar of Dutch Shizuki Tadao (1760 – 1806). It is often argued that the Japanese scholars’ knowledge of Dutch was not particularly advanced, as they were mostly limited by their broken understanding of the contents of Dutch grammatical handbooks and dictionaries. The present book questions and investigates this claim with the goal of understanding the actual role played by Dutch sources in the learning of Dutch grammar.Shizuki can be considered as the first Japanese who studied the European theory of grammar. His representation of it is highly relevant within the history of linguistic thought. In the analysis of Shizuki’s manuscripts, this book concentrates on the representation of the categories of the parts of speech and of morphosyntactic phenomena related to verbs. While describing Dutch grammar, Shizuki often mentions other Japanese authors, like Ogyū Sorai and Motoori Norinaga. This book analyzes their works in relation to Shizuki’s manuscripts and his Dutch sources, contextualizing Shizuki’s theories and demonstrating their relationship to his sources. The book argues in favor of a new positioning of Shizuki and the other rangakusha within the scholarly environment of Early Modern Japan. Show less
This book provides a description of Cuvok, a language spoken by about 10,000 people in the far north of Cameroon. The study of the linguistic elements addresses and provides an analysis of the... Show moreThis book provides a description of Cuvok, a language spoken by about 10,000 people in the far north of Cameroon. The study of the linguistic elements addresses and provides an analysis of the language through the examination of phonological and morphological aspects, as well as some notes on syntax and a bilingual lexicon.The issue of prosodies is central to the discussion of vowel segments. The harmonic domain of the word has a prominent place in the morpho-phonological discussion. The noun and the verb are the only grammatical categories that exhibit harmonic domains within which the features +palatalization and -palatalization are observed. All satellite elements of these two categories are either palatalized or non-palatalized depending on the opposition between the two phonemic vowels in the final position of the nominal or verbal complex. The perception of the Cuvok world is revealed through the study of prepositions, markers of temporal and spatial location. The expression of the four cardinal points shows a fixed orientation of the Tchouvok people.Particular emphasis was placed on the ethnolinguistic aspect, which deals with the role of the blacksmith as a key actor in the development of the society. This monographic section examines the role of the blacksmith in a society that is undergoing rapid change and is prey to new ideas and habits.The Cuvok grammar is a work that constitutes a decisive step towards the development and standardization of this language and hence of the central Chadic languages in general. Show less
Attested in cuneiform, hieroglyphic and alphabetic texts dating to the first two millennia BCE, the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family is intriguing already by itself. But... Show moreAttested in cuneiform, hieroglyphic and alphabetic texts dating to the first two millennia BCE, the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family is intriguing already by itself. But Anatolian is also of central importance for the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European, the last common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Not only is it the earliest attested branch, it has also long been suspected that Anatolian reflects an earlier stage of the proto-language than that underlying the rest of the family.Focusing on the three best-attested Anatolian languages, Hittite, Luwian and Lycian, this book aims to further our understanding of Anatolian, and by extension Proto-Indo-European, by offering in-depth analyses of essential issues in Anatolian historical morphology and semantics. Various well-known as well as several newly adduced topics are scrutinized to determine whether the innovations leading to the discrepancies with the rest of Indo-European took place on the Anatolian or on the non-Anatolian side.The present study suggests that Anatolian is in many respects closer to the ancestor of the other Indo-European languages than is often claimed. Nevertheless, the investigation has also led to new evidence in favor of the hypothesis that Anatolian was the first branch to split off from the family. Show less
Tin electrodeposition applications have rapidly evolved in the past 25 years. Usage of tin coatings has advanced from being mainly used for corrosion protection and decorative purposes, to being... Show moreTin electrodeposition applications have rapidly evolved in the past 25 years. Usage of tin coatings has advanced from being mainly used for corrosion protection and decorative purposes, to being used in modern technology such in electronic devices, photovoltaic cells and Li-ion batteries. The new tin coating applications have also come with challenges that require the production of nanostructured deposits, multilayers coatings and composites. Furthermore, the need to reduce energy and source consumptions, and the implementation of more environment-friendly processes, require detailed and fundamental knowledge of the electrodeposition process.The emphasis throughout this thesis is therefore to obtain detailed mechanistic information of tin electrodeposition process.The experimental and theoretical work presented in this thesis attempts to understand the mechanism of tin electrodeposition, and the effect of electrolyte anions and naphthalene-based additives, during the early and subsequent stages of the process. Show less
This dissertation presents a description of Mankanya, an Atlantic language spoken by about 65 000 speakers in Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and the Gambia. It includes a sketch of the phonology and a... Show moreThis dissertation presents a description of Mankanya, an Atlantic language spoken by about 65 000 speakers in Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and the Gambia. It includes a sketch of the phonology and a detailed description of the morphology and syntax of the language. Some aspects of discourse level structure are also discussed and two interlinearised sample texts are included.Mankanya has a rich morphology with both nominal and verbal inflection, and a range of derivative morphemes. Like many other Atlantic languages, nouns can be grouped into classes based on the agreement of the inflections between nouns and their modifiers. Verbs have prefixes that agree with the subject. Though some verbal affixes indicate different aspects, most distinctions of tense, aspect and mode are made by using verbal auxiliaries. Clause chaining is possible with reduced subject agreement if the subject is unchanged. Where the subject does change a different subject marker is often used.A Grammar of Mankanya will be of interest for those studying of Atlantic languages, as well a resource for wider typological comparison. Show less
Morphometric and morphological differences have been used extensively in the past to study domestication of the wolf and the origin of dogs. Certainly before genetic testing was performed, these... Show moreMorphometric and morphological differences have been used extensively in the past to study domestication of the wolf and the origin of dogs. Certainly before genetic testing was performed, these methods were the only means to diverge both groups. But still now, when aDNA cannot be extracted, morphometry and morphology are still important study methods to discern between wolves and dogs.Many of the historically claimed differences were based on studying rather low numbers of Specimens, and on comparisons with genetically isolated groups of dogs or breeds that had anatomical variants which diverge from the mean. This led to several claimed differences that needed rigorous re-evaluated, by investigating larger groups of specimens, both dogs and wolves, and more importantly, and if possible, Pleistocene wolves and the oldest archaeological dogs.We re-evaluated all important morphological and morphometric criteria published in the literature. Most are related to oral, mandibular and skull differences, but also difference in stature was reported. From all criteria we re-tested very few proved to be valuable. And those that show a difference, can often only be used to a limited extend, as only the extremes of these criteria are non-overlapping between groups. Show less
Streptomyces are multicellular, Gram-positive bacteria in the phylum of actinobacteria which produce a high amount of bioactive natural products of which the expression is tightly coordinated with... Show moreStreptomyces are multicellular, Gram-positive bacteria in the phylum of actinobacteria which produce a high amount of bioactive natural products of which the expression is tightly coordinated with the life cycle. This thesis shows the identification of S. roseifaciens, a novel species with an uncommon, verticillate spore morphology and a unique household of SsgA-like proteins. Analyses of the peptidoglycan composition show that S. coelicolor show a pattern of 3-3 cross-linking befitting a tip-growing organism and change in composition between vegetative mycelium and spores. Kitasatosporae carry meso-DAP in the peptidoglycan of vegetative mycelium and LL-DAP in the peptidoglycan of spores. In line with this difference, the peptidoglycan architecture of these two growth stages undergoes such radical changes that they would seem to be from different species. S. coelicolor is naturally vancomycin resistant, but the addition of D-alanine and disruption in a single gene increases vancomycin sensitivity by a thousandfold. A knockout mutant of the alanine racemase, alr, requires exogenous addition of D-alanine. The Alr crystal structure of S. coelicolor and the D-cycloserine producer S. lavendulae were compared as to look for possible mechanisms for D-cycloserine resistance. Show less
In this thesis I discuss Hittite verbs and formations that contain or may contain a nasal infix as well as nu-verbs, in order to outline the development of these types from PIE to Hittite and... Show moreIn this thesis I discuss Hittite verbs and formations that contain or may contain a nasal infix as well as nu-verbs, in order to outline the development of these types from PIE to Hittite and establish the extent to which the Hittite nasal verbs are related to comparable formations in the other Indo-European languages. Apart from treating the formal and etymological aspects of these verbs, this study also focuses on the semantics of the nasal affixes. In Hittitological literature they are often assumed to have a causative or a factitive meaning, but these functions do not cover the semantics of all the verbs with these affixes: there are infixed and nu-verbs that are clearly not causative, in fact there are even several intransitive nu-verbs. In this thesis it is therefore argued that the best solution to embrace the polysemy of nasal affixes is to assume that the underlying function of these morphemes is raising in transitivity. Show less
Streptomyces are multicellular bacteria that grow as branched filaments and are best known for producing the majority of our antibiotics, many immunosuppressant and anticancer compounds.... Show moreStreptomyces are multicellular bacteria that grow as branched filaments and are best known for producing the majority of our antibiotics, many immunosuppressant and anticancer compounds. Unfortunately their multicellular life style creates many problems for efficient industrial production. In a bioreactor, depending on the environment and the genetics, it can grow quickly as dispersed mycelia or aggregate in slow growing pellets. Either morphology has advantages and disadvantages, which can be product specific. For my thesis I studied the mechanism by which these filaments can aggregate into dense pellets. I found a small gene cluster that produces poly-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine, a bacterial glue which binds neighboring cells and required for pellet formation in S. coelicolor. Subsequently we can use these genes to control the morphology of streptomycetes in a liquid environment, tailoring it for production. My work has given us new insights in the mechanims through which streptomycetes aggregate, but also has the potential to make streptomycetes a more favorable host for industial production. Show less
This study treats the verbal aspect system in Old Church Slavonic. A proper analysis of the aspect system in Old Church Slavonic can contribute to a better understanding of verbal aspect in the... Show moreThis study treats the verbal aspect system in Old Church Slavonic. A proper analysis of the aspect system in Old Church Slavonic can contribute to a better understanding of verbal aspect in the modern Slavic languages and the development of aspect in Slavic. In this study, it is demonstrated that the verbal aspect system in Old Church Slavonic can best be described if one categorizes the verbs into three main categories: perfective, imperfective and anaspectual. This differs from the traditional division into perfective and imperfective verbs only. To support this categorization, the study contains over 300 examples. The semantic analysis of these examples shows, amongst others, that within the typology of Slavic aspect, verbal aspect in Old Church Slavonic functions more like verbal aspect in the Western group of Slavic languages (e.g. Czech) than like that in the Eastern group (e.g. Russian). The Eastern group can therefore be regarded as the more innovative group, while the Western group is the more conservative. The study also discusses the role the imperfect tense possibly plays in the development of derived imperfective verbs and, through that, in the development of the perfective-imperfective aspect opposition in Slavic. Show less
Streptomyces are Gram-positive, soil dwelling bacteria that raised interest in the last 50 years for their high potential in antibiotic and protein production. Thanks to their saprophytic nature,... Show moreStreptomyces are Gram-positive, soil dwelling bacteria that raised interest in the last 50 years for their high potential in antibiotic and protein production. Thanks to their saprophytic nature, streptomycetes secrete a massive amount of industrial enzymes. They have a relatively low level of endogenous extracellular proteolytic activity when compared to other expression hosts (e.g. Bacillus), they are generally more suited to produce proteins encoded by high G+C actinomycete genes in their native form, coupled to efficient secretion so as to avoid that the proteins end up in inclusion bodies (often a problem when using e.g. E. coli) and making downstream processes easier. Despite their attractive potential, Streptomyces present several constraints which so far limit their application in industry. The first constraint is morphology: by growing as a network of hyphae, they produce dense pellets in liquid cultures that hold Streptomyces back from being one of the first choice cell factories in large scale fermentations. In addition, the limited availability of efficient expression systems for high-level transcription/translation and subsequent secretion is a further bottleneck. This thesis presents the work done to address these issues for the optimization of Streptomyces lividans for future industrial applications and enzyme production. Show less
This book presents a description of Sandawe, a Khoisan language spoken by approximately 60 000 speakers in Dodoma Region, Tanzania. The study presents an analysis of the phonology, morphology, and... Show moreThis book presents a description of Sandawe, a Khoisan language spoken by approximately 60 000 speakers in Dodoma Region, Tanzania. The study presents an analysis of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of the language, as well as a sample of four texts. The data for this dissertation were gathered by the author during fieldwork in the area where the language is spoken. The language has a rich phonology, with sets of lateral fricatives and affricates, ejectives, and fifteen clicks. The nominal domain is characterized by the absence of regular number marking. The verbal domain, on the other hand, shows various ways of number marking, which can express participant plurality and pluractionality. The study further provides a comprehensive description of the morphology and semantics of verbal derivation, such as iterative, factitive, causative and middle stems, and verbal case markers that introduce an additional pronominal object. Sandawe has various types of clitics, notably subject/modality markers and mediative clitics, which have a variable position in the clause. A grammar of Sandawe is of relevance to specialists in Khoisan studies as well as to general linguists and typologists interested in number marking, verbal derivation, and clitics. Show less
In this study, the formation of the Tocharian subjunctive is described, its use and meaning are analysed and its origins are investigated. The two Tocharian languages A and B are known to us... Show moreIn this study, the formation of the Tocharian subjunctive is described, its use and meaning are analysed and its origins are investigated. The two Tocharian languages A and B are known to us through Buddhist manuscripts from ca. 400-1200 CE that were found along the Northern Silk Road in Xīnjiāng, China. Tocharian A and B are closely related, and they belong to the Indo-European language family. It is argued that the Tocharian subjunctive is closest to the present as far as the endings are concerned, while the formation of its stem is rather parallel to the preterite. Thus, the subjunctive is essentially a kind of "second present" formed from the preterite stem. In main clauses, the basic meaning of the subjunctive is future: different kinds of modal readings are often possible, but they are the result of inference. In subclauses, a variety of uses is found, for instance conditionality, iterativity, uncertainty, finality and indefiniteness. The Tocharian subjunctive is derived from the Proto-Indo-European aorist stem, a perfective stem next to the imperfective present stem. The meaning of the subjunctive can be derived from that of a "perfective present", which it still is morphologically on the synchronic level. Show less
This thesis investigates the grammar of Sheko, an Omotic language spoken in southwest Ethiopia. The study presents an analysis of the phonology, morphology and syntax of the language, amply... Show moreThis thesis investigates the grammar of Sheko, an Omotic language spoken in southwest Ethiopia. The study presents an analysis of the phonology, morphology and syntax of the language, amply illustrated by examples. The supplements contain a sample of texts and an extensive word list. Among other things, the author discusses the interrelation between gender, definiteness and number in nominal morphology. Some nominal morphology also occurs on verbal forms. In the verb system, stem formation, aspectual and modal distinctions as well as stance marking are treated. The language has a rich array of complex verb constructions, such as medial clauses and serial verb constructions, next to different types of subordinate clauses. In relative clauses, a resumptive pronoun may occur before the antecedent. One of the divergent ways in which interrogatives are formed is by ‘subtractive morphology’, i.e. dropping off a grammatical element which is obligatorily present in declaratives. Furthermore, subject clitics attach to a variety of hosts in correlation to information structure and focus. These and a number of other issues make the work valuable for specialists of Omotic and Afroasiatic studies as well as for general linguists and anyone interested in the typology of language. Show less
Merels in de stad blijken te verschillen van soortgenoten in naburige bossen ten aanzien van lichaamsbouw, zang, en genetica. Nederlandse stadsmerels zijn zwaarder dan hun soortgenoten in het bos.... Show moreMerels in de stad blijken te verschillen van soortgenoten in naburige bossen ten aanzien van lichaamsbouw, zang, en genetica. Nederlandse stadsmerels zijn zwaarder dan hun soortgenoten in het bos. Daarnaast zingen stadsmerels met een hogere frequentie dan bosmerels wat de hoorbaarheid bij laagtonig verkeerslawaai ten goede komt. Merelmannen merken zelf daadwerkelijk de verschillen op tussen de zang van stads- en bosmerels, zo blijkt uit experimenten waarbij de zang werd afgespeeld in merelterritoria in stad en bos. Stadsmerels reageren namelijk sterker op hogere zang en bosmerels juist meer op lagere. Variatie in zang en reactie op zang kan mogelijk de onderlinge uitwisseling tussen stad- en bospopulaties be_nvloeden. Dit wordt ondersteund door de bevinding dat populaties uit steden en naburige bossen inderdaad genetisch anders zijn. De gevonden verschillen zijn opmerkelijk omdat de studiepopulaties in stad en bos slechts 5 _ 10 km uit elkaar liggen. Het onderzoek toont dus aan dat een stedelijke omgeving invloed kan hebben op belangrijke soortskenmerken waarbij het echter nog maar de vraag is of deze evolutie ooit zal leiden tot het ontstaan van twee gescheiden merelsoorten. Show less
The Dutch prefix ge- in historical perspective gives first of all a general account of the development of the word formation processes involving ge- in which special attention is paid to the... Show moreThe Dutch prefix ge- in historical perspective gives first of all a general account of the development of the word formation processes involving ge- in which special attention is paid to the participial ge-. The main point of the book is a comprehensive analysis of the ‘ge-+verb stem’ derivation of the type geblaf. The diachrony of these ge-derivations, which are very productive in modern Dutch has hardly been investigated up to now. The research focuses on the development of this type of ge-derivation in the period 1200-1900. Three different sources are used: contemporary grammars, dictionaries and a digital text corpus composed for this purpose. This varied approach provides a clear picture of the development of this ge-derivation in the history of Dutch and of the factors which have played an important role therein. Show less
Caecilians, or Gymnophiona, constitute one of the three extant orders of the Recent Amphibia and are the least known, major living tetrapod clade. Compared to frogs and salamanders, caecilians have... Show moreCaecilians, or Gymnophiona, constitute one of the three extant orders of the Recent Amphibia and are the least known, major living tetrapod clade. Compared to frogs and salamanders, caecilians have an unusual skull morphology. Earlier reports of an unusually high number of individual skull ossifications in Hypogeophis rostratus are addressed and found to be erroneous. Changes in skull morphology and myology at metamorphoses are investigated in representatives of all taxa possessing free-living larvae. It is argued that caecilians are derived from gymno- or zygokrotaphic ancestors and that stegokrotaphy evolved within Recent caecilians. The influence of different life-histories on postembryonic skull development was studied in two direct-developing species. The direct-developing Boulengerula taitanus is characterized by very immature hatchlings, which is correlated with an extended period of post-hatching parental care in this species, during which juveniles feed on the modified skin of their mothers. Direct development in caecilians is characterized by ontogenetic repatterning and heterochronic shifts in certain developmental events. The ontogeny of Scolecomorphus kirkii was studied as a representative of a viviparous form. The emerging picture of available published information, together with observations presented here, suggest a previously unsuspected degree of developmental diversity among caecilians. It is further argued that caecilians are lissamphibians with temnospondyl affinities rather than closely related to lepospondyl microsaurs. Show less
The thesis focuses on the tropical plant genus Mallotus. This genus belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family), and comprises c. 110 species. These species are mainly found in (sub)tropical Asia... Show moreThe thesis focuses on the tropical plant genus Mallotus. This genus belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family), and comprises c. 110 species. These species are mainly found in (sub)tropical Asia and the West Pacific, with only two species in Africa and Madagascar. Mallotus and its sister genus Macaranga are important components of the forest vegetation of Southeast Asia and show a large variety of life-history strategies (both pioneer and climax). Most Mallotus species are shrubs or trees, seldom climbers. The variable morphology of these species has resulted in three main subgeneric classifications, of which the latest recognizes eight sections. The study presented here was part of a large project involving ecological, revisional and phylogenetic work on Mallotus. Five of the eight sections of the genus Mallotus were revised in the framework of the Flora Malesiana project, hereby provisionally accepting the sectional division of Airy Shaw (1968). The remaining three sections were already revised in a previous study. The monophyly of all eight sections and their evolutionary relationships were analyzed using morphological and molecular data (the chloropast gene matK and the nuclear gene gpd). Finally, the phylogenetic significance of the morphological characters used in the classification by Airy Shaw was evaluated. Show less
Waar mensen zijn vindt nutriënten-verrijking van het water plaats. In de zomer kunnen algen hierdoor goed groeien. Dode algen en andere resten zakken naar de bodem waarna door rottingsprocessen de... Show moreWaar mensen zijn vindt nutriënten-verrijking van het water plaats. In de zomer kunnen algen hierdoor goed groeien. Dode algen en andere resten zakken naar de bodem waarna door rottingsprocessen de zuurstofconcentratie in het water sterk kan dalen. Het water wordt hierdoor onleefbaar voor vissen en andere organismen. In het Victoriameer in Afrika is het altijd zomer en grote gebieden zijn hier de laatste decennia zuurstofarm geworden. Men kan aannemen dat dit zeer slecht is voor de visstand. Toch blijken Victoriameervissen beter te kunnen overleven dan men dacht. In ons laboratorium in Leiden zagen we drie weken oude Victoriameervisjes (cichlidensoorten) zeer snel konden wennen aan zuurstofarme omstandigheden. Zij bleken zelfs met tien keer minder zuurstof (0,8 mg per liter) net zo hard te groeien als nestgenoten die onder normale omstandigheden leefden. Volwassen vissen gaan dood of overleven dit slechts tijdelijk. Jonge visjes kunnen zo goed overleven omdat zij tot 80% grotere kieuwen krijgen en continue een veel hogere ademactiviteit hebben. De aanleg van deze superkieuwen kost zoveel ruimte dat zelfs hun kop van vorm veranderde. Het bloed dat door de kieuwen stroomt bleek meer en beter zuurstof te kunnen binden terwijl een soort meerdere nieuwe typen hemoglobine bleek te produceren. Dit is een unieke eigenschap die bij andere dieren alleen optreedt bij geboorte of bijvoorbeeld transformaties van water naar land bij amfibieën. Het waterpeil in het Victoriameer was 14.000 jaar geleden extreem laag en mogelijkerwijs heeft een voorouder van deze soort deze truc destijds onder de knie gekregen die in het zuurstofarme water van nu weer van pas komt. Show less
