David J Beck is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Alberta. He specializes in fieldwork and typology, focusing particularly on morphology and communicative structure in languages. His research interests encompass American Indigenous languages, with a particular emphasis on Totonacan and Lushootseed (Salishan). Beck's doctoral dissertation laid the foundations for a theory of lexical classes, particularly addressing the markedness of adjectives. He investigates the cross-linguistic aspects of markedness in adjectives and how these aspects are integrated into the semantic and syntactic structures of languages. His scholarly work also delves into language contact phenomena and the grammatical diffusion occurring in Sprachbunds, especially in areas characterized by significant language coexistence and shift due to socio-economic influences.
University of Alberta • Edmonton, AB
Professor and Chair in the Department of Linguistics, involved in research and teaching.