Hello! 

I am an Assistant Professor of Linguistics at  William & Mary, where I direct the Semantics lab.

I completed my PhD degree in Cognitive Science from Johns Hopkins University in 2021. 

In my current research, I employ a combination of methodologies (introspection, behavioral experiments and computational modeling) to study the semantics/pragmatics, and sometimes, syntax, of noun phrases across languages. I am  especially interested in so-called determinerless languages that lack function words like 'the' and 'a' entirely, permitting instead the productive use of 'bare' nominals devoid of any articles to express both indefinite and definite meanings. I often think about the similarities and differences in the way that speakers of such languages use referring expressions in various contexts compared to speakers of English-like languages. Most recently, I am also thinking about noun phrases in English where the meaning contributions of 'the' and 'a' are seemingly vacuous, causing them to behave more like the bare nouns in determinerless languages.

My first language, Kannada,  is an example of a  determinerless language and a main focus of my current research. I also have a general areal interest in South Asian languages.

Please visit my CV and Teaching pages for more information about my work, and do get in touch if you see something that interests you. I am continuously looking to expand my domain of investigation to a wider variety of languages, so please also feel free to reach out regarding cool observations related to noun phrases in languages you may be familiar with!

How to say my name: [sa:d̪ʰvi:  ʃri:niva:s]