General information on TDIR
The 'Typological Database of Intensifiers and Reflexives' (TDIR) grew out of a DFG-funded research project which was carried out from 1994 to 2002 under the direction of Ekkehard König at the Free University of Berlin ('Typological investigations on emphatic reflexives, reflexives, and focus particles', Ko 497/5-1/4). During our project work, we compiled a considerable amount of data on intensifiers and reflexives. When our project came to an end, we decided to make some of those data available to the public, hoping to contribute to the development of an openly accessible typological data pool in linguistic typology.
The development of this database was sponsored by the central research commitee of the Free University of Berlin ('Kommission für Forschung'). The financial support from this source is gratefully acknowledged. Morevoer, we were a member of the EU-sponsored LTRC-programme, which was kindly coordinated by the University of Utrecht.
The database provides information on intensifiers and reflexives as well as on some related domains of grammar such as the middle voice and scalar focus particles. We focus on accurate language description and documentation ('grammar fragments'). The data have been obtained from both native speaker consultation (primary data) and literature on the relevant topics and languages (secondary data). For secondary data, sources and references are generally indicated (click here for a list of references).
Currently, the database contains information from more than a hundred languages and approximately 600 examples. The sample is not balanced genetically and areally. It is therefore not fit for use as the only input to any statistical procedure. For information on search options, see the user instructions.
We hope to be able to add more information to the database in the near future. Suggestions concerning both the data and the make-up of the database are appreciated, and can be sent to Volker Gast. Any piece of helpful information will be duly acknowledged.
Berlin, 03/31/2007
V. Gast, D. Hole, E. König, P. Siemund, S. Töpper
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