Dr. Lev Michael

Biography

Lev Michael is an anthropological linguist whose research focuses on the interplay of language structure and social activity, particularly in Amazonia, South America. His work explores how social, political, and cultural processes shape and are shaped by the structural dimensions of language. He engages in comparative analysis of the grammars and lexicons of South American languages, aiming to shed light on the history of indigenous societies on the continent. Methodologically, his work is grounded in language documentation, description, and historical contact linguistics. He has a keen interest in the typologically remarkable nature of Amazonian languages, which has led him to engage with indigenous communities and substantial involvement in community-oriented language pedagogy and revitalization activities. His fieldwork includes collaboration with speakers of various languages such as Aʔɨwa, Andoa, Iquito, Kashibo-Kakataibo, Máíhɨ̃ki, Matsigenka, Muniche, Nanti, Omagua, and Sápara, alongside comparative work on the Arawakan, Tukanoan, Tupí-Guaraní, and Zaparoan language families.

Research Interests