About me

I am a linguist at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and I’m interested in how languages evolve through space and time. My expertise includes phonology (sound systems), morphology (word structure) and the Indigenous languages of Australia.

Research

I’m currently affiliated with two projects. The first is EVOGRAM, investigating the linguistic and non-linguistic (e.g. cultural, environmental) factors driving the evolution of nominal classification systems (i.e. how languages classify nouns by marking gender or using classifiers). This is a continuation of my recent postdoctoral work at the Laboratoire Dynamique Du Langage (Dynamics of Language Lab, a.k.a. DDL), CNRS, Université Lyon 2. The second is OzSpace, which is investigating the interaction of landscape, culture and social diversity on spatial language systems in Australian Indigenous languages.

More generally, I’m interested in expanding coverage of under-resourced languages in the computational language sciences. This can improve accessibility of speech and language technologies to under-served linguistic communities. Studying a broad cross-section of the globe’s linguistic diversity is also crucial for answering some of the biggest questions in linguistics and human history.

I completed my PhD at The University of Queensland, Australia. My thesis, Phonotactics in historical linguistics: Quantitative interrogation of a novel data source, is available (open access) on UQ eSpace. Some of the chapters have also been published separately as journal articles (see my Publications).

Data science

My skills cover the full data science pipeline, including data curation, methodological design, advanced statistical programming in R and other software, technical reporting, visualisation and presentation. I have project management experience, including winning grant funding, managing teams of research assistants and publishing in leading international journals.

To discuss collaboration, enquire about honours/PhD supervision, or just to have a chat about linguistics, please contact me by email: jayden.macklin-cordes {at} newcastle.edu.au