Mary Walworth
Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
phone: +49 (0) 341 3550 273
e-mail:
mary_walworth@[>>> Please remove the text! <<<]eva.mpg.de
About me
My research focuses on the evolution and interaction of Oceanic languages, specifically in Polynesia and Vanuatu. Through documentation and comparison of many understudied languages in these areas, I work to uncover not only historical linguistic relationships but also historical relationships between the speakers of these languages (contact networks, spheres of exchange and interaction, and population movement). I currently lead the Comparative Oceanic Linguistics (CoOL) project.
Curriculum Vitae
Appointments
2020 - Present | Research Group Leader, Comparative Oceanic Linguistics, Max Planck Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution |
2012 – Present | Research Affiliate, Équipe d’Accueil Sociétés Traditionnelles et Contemporaines en Océanie, Université de la Polynésie française |
2017 – 2021 | Research Affiliate, Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australian Research Council |
2016 – 2020 | Postdoctoral Researcher, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History |
2016 | Visiting Lecturer, Université de la Polynésie Française |
2015 – 2016 | Postdoctoral Research Fellow, US National Science Foundation/ National Endowment for the Humanities - Documenting Endangered Languages |
2013 – 2014 | Bilinski Foundation PhD Research Fellow, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa |
2012 – 2013 | Chateaubriand PhD Research Fellow, Cultural Services of the United States French Embassy |
2011 – 2012 | Instructor, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa |
Education
2011 – 2015 | PhD in Linguistics, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa |
2009 – 2011 | Master of Arts in Linguistics, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa |
2000 – 2004 | Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology & French, Marquette University |
Publications & Presentations
Walworth, M., Dewar, A., Ennever, T., Takau, L., & Rodriguez, I. (2021). Multilingualism in Vanuatu: Four case studies. International Journal of Bilingualism, 25(4), 1120-1141. |
Walworth, M. (2020). Eastern Polynesia. In E. Adamou, & Y. Matras ( |
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Hermann, A., & Walworth, M. (2020). Approche interdisciplinaire des échanges interculturels et de l’intégration des communautés polynésiennes dans le centre du Vanuatu. Journal de la société des océanistes, 151: 11963, pp. 239-262. |
List, M., Walworth, M., Greenhill, S. J., Tresoldi, T., & Forkel, R. (2018). Sequence comparison in computational historical linguistics. Journal of Language Evolution, 3(2), 130-144. |
Walworth, M. (2017). Classifying old Rapa: Linguistic evidence for contact networks in Southeast Polynesia. Issues in Austronesian Historical Linguistics, (Special publication 1), 102-122. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10524/52405. |
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Walworth, M. (2017). Reo Rapa: A Polynesian contact language. Journal of Language Contact, 10(1), 98-141. |
Walworth, M. (2014). Eastern Polynesian: The Linguistic Evidence Revisited. Oceanic Linguistics, 53, 256-272. |
2024
King, B., Greenhill, S. J., Reid, L. A., Ross, M., Walworth, M., & Gray, R. D. (2024). Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of Philippine languages supports a rapid migration of Malayo-Polynesian languages. Scientific Reports, 14(1): 14967. |
2023
Rangelov, T., Walworth, M., & Barbour, J. (2023). A multifaceted approach to understanding unexpected sound change: the bilabial trills of Vanuatu’s Malekula Island. Diachronica, 40(3), 384-432. |
2021
Walworth, M., Dewar, A., Ennever, T., Takau, L., & Rodriguez, I. (2021). Multilingualism in Vanuatu: Four case studies. International Journal of Bilingualism, 25(4), 1120-1141. |
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Hancock-Teed, J. D., & Walworth, M. (2021). Reo Ra’ivavae (Ra’ivavae, Austral Archipelago, French-occupied Polynesia) - language snapshot. Language Documentation and Description, 20, 154-161. |
2020
Walworth, M. (2020). Eastern Polynesia. In E. Adamou, & Y. Matras ( |
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Hermann, A., & Walworth, M. (2020). Approche interdisciplinaire des échanges interculturels et de l’intégration des communautés polynésiennes dans le centre du Vanuatu. Journal de la société des océanistes, 151: 11963, pp. 239-262. |
2019
Heggarty, P., Shimelman, A., Abete, G., Anderson, C., Sadowsky, S., Paschen, L., Maguire, W., Jocz, L., A., M. J. A., Wägerle, L., Appelganz, D., Silva, A. P. d. C. e., Lawyer, L. C., Cabral, A. S. A. C., Walworth, M., Michalsky, J., Koile, E., Runge, J., & Bibiko, H.-J. (2019). Sound comparisons: A new online database and resource for research in phonetic diversity. In S. Calhoun, P. Escudero, M. Tabain, & P. Warren ( |
2018
List, M., Walworth, M., Greenhill, S. J., Tresoldi, T., & Forkel, R. (2018). Sequence comparison in computational historical linguistics. Journal of Language Evolution, 3(2), 130-144. |
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Anderson, C., Tresoldi, T., Chacon, T., Fehn, A.-M., Walworth, M., Forkel, R., & List, J.-M. (2018). A cross-linguistic database of phonetic transcription systems. Yearbook of the Poznan Linguistic Meeting, 4(1), 21-53. |
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Posth, C., Nägele, K., Colleran, H., Valentin, F., Bedford, S., Kami, K. W., Shing, R., Buckley, H., Kinaston, R., Walworth, M., Clark, G. R., Reepmeyer, C., Flexner, J., Maric, T., Moser, J., Gresky, J., Kiko, L., Robson, K. J., Auckland, K., Oppenheimer, S. J., Hill, A. V. S., Mentzer, A. J., Zech, J., Petchey, F., Roberts, P., Jeong, C., Gray, R. D., Krause, J., & Powell, A. (2018). Language continuity despite population replacement in Remote Oceania. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2(4), 731-740. |
2017
Walworth, M. (2017). Classifying old Rapa: Linguistic evidence for contact networks in Southeast Polynesia. Issues in Austronesian Historical Linguistics, (Special publication 1), 102-122. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10524/52405. |
|
Walworth, M. (2017). [Book review] Linguistic atlas of French Polynesia/Atlas linguistique de la Polynésie française by Jean-Michel Charpentier and Alexandre François. Oceanic Linguistics, 56(1), 299-303. |
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Walworth, M. (2017). Reo Rapa: A Polynesian contact language. Journal of Language Contact, 10(1), 98-141. |
2014
Walworth, M. (2014). Eastern Polynesian: The Linguistic Evidence Revisited. Oceanic Linguistics, 53, 256-272. |
2010
Waldrip, A., & Walworth, M. (2010). The Fua Le'o Project: Promoting self-publication in Polynesian language. In H. G. Lewis, & N. Ostler ( |
2021
King, B., Reid, L., Walworth, M., Greenhill, S., & Gray, R. D. (2021). Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of Philippine languages supports rapid initial Austronesian expansion followed by northward back-migration. Talk presented at 15th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics, Palacky University. online. 2021-06-28 - 2021-07-01. |
Walworth, M. (2021, June 10). A new approach to Polynesian possession: Mana Control Theory.13th International Austronesian and Papuan Languages and Linguistics Conference, University of Edinburgh, online, June 10-12, 2021.
2019
Walworth, M. and Davletshin, A. (2019, October 8). New Perspectives on Eastern Polynesian Subgrouping. 11th Conference on Oceanic Linguistics, Noumea, New Caledonia, October 7-11, 2019.
Walworth, M. (2019, July 1). Language Contact and Change on the Ocean(ic) Highway. 24th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, Canberra, Australia, July 1-5, 2019. [PLENARY]
Hoffmann, K., Walworth, M., Greenhill, S. J., Gray, R. D., Kühnert, D. (2019, July 2). Bayesian phylodynamics reveal the diversification process of Vanuatu’s languages. 24th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, Canberra, Australia, July 1-5, 2019.
Walworth, M., Ennever, T., Rodriguez, I., Takau, L., Gray, R. (2019, April 15). The Multitude of Multilingualism in Vanuatu. Typology of Small-scale Multilingualism, Lyon, France, April 15-17, 2019.
2018
Walworth, M., Greenhill, S.J., Gray, R. (2018, July 25). Toward a Comprehensive Subgrouping of Vanuatu Languages. Vanuatu Languages Conference, Port Vila, Vanuatu, July 25-27, 2018.
Walworth, M. (2018, June 6). Long-distance mobility and networks of exchange in Polynesia: the importance of linguistic evidence. 18th International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences World Conference, Paris, France, June 4-9, 2018.
Walworth, M. (2018, May 5). Reo Ra’ivavae’s dorsal stop reflex of PPN *l: A Rennellese source? 10th International Austronesian and Papuan Languages and Linguistics Conference, Surrey, UK, May 4-5, 2018.
Gray, R.D., Walworth, M., Powell, A., Verkerk, A. (2018, Feb 2). What can linguistics and genetics tell us about Papuan contact on the Austronesian languages of Vanuatu? New Ways of Analysing Variation-AP 5, February 1-3, 2018.
2017
Walworth, M. (2017, October 13). It does exist! Identifying actuation of language change. XLanS: Triggers of language change in the Language Sciences. Lyon, France, October 11-13, 2017.
Walworth, M. (2017, March 3). Being Mono-Mā'ohi: Negative self-identity and language endangerment in French Polynesia. 5th International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation. Honolulu, Hawai‘i, March 2-5, 2017.
2016
Walworth, M. and Vernaudon, J. (2016, October 25). Les relations socio-historiques dans les langues de Polynésie française. University of New Caledonia Colloque “Ce que les langues d’Oceanie ont à nous apprendre”. Noumea, New Caledonia, October 24-18, 2016.
2015
Walworth, M. (2015, December 15). Trickle-Down Endangerment. New Zealand Linguistic Society Annual Meeting. Dunedin, NZ, December 14-15, 2015.
Walworth, M. (2015, July 19). Classifying Old Rapa: Linguistic Evidence for Prehistoric Contact Networks in South-East Polynesia. 13th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics. Taipei, Taiwan, July 18-23, 2015.
Walworth, M. (2015, January 29). Defining Reo Rapa: A Polynesian Contact Language. Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language Symposium on Contact Languages. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, January 28-29, 2015.
2014
Walworth, M. (2014, January 16). The Rapa Iti Dictionary Project. 21st Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium. Hilo, Hawai‘i, January 15-19, 2014.
2012
Walworth, M. (2012, July 6). Eastern Polynesian: The Linguistic Evidence Revisited. 12th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics. Bali, Indonesia, July 2-6, 2012.
Walworth, M. (2012, January 6). Who Owns the Words? Three Principles for Protecting Native Speakers in the Archival Record. Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting. Portland, Oregon, January 5-8, 2012.
2010
Walworth, M. (2010, November 22). Language Change in Rapa Iti. 12th Language and Society Conference. Auckland, New Zealand, November 22-23, 2010.
Waldrip, A. and Walworth, M. (2010, September 14). The Fua Le‘o Project: Language Maintenance through Self-Publication. Foundation for Endangered Languages Conference XIV. Wales, September 13-15, 2010.