science

Snježana Kordić

Snježana Kordić is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Snježana Kordić rather than just read about it. In short: Snježana Kordić (pronounced [sɲěʒana kôːrditɕ] ; born October 29, 1964) is a Croatian linguist. In addition to her work in syntax, she has written on sociolinguistics.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Snježana Kordić (pronounced [sɲěʒana kôːrditɕ] ; born October 29, 1964) is a Croatian linguist. In addition to her work in syntax, she has written on sociolinguistics. Kordić is known among non-specialists for her numerous articles against the puristic and prescriptive language policy in Croatia. Her 2010 book Jezik i nacionalizam (Language and Nationalism) popularised the theory of pluricentric languages in the Balkans.

Biography

Education Snježana Kordić obtained a degree from Osijek University (1988) and an M.Sci in Linguistics from the Faculty of Philosophy at Zagreb University (1992). She earned her Ph.D. in Zagreb in 1993. In 2002, she obtained a habilitation in Slavic philology (qualification at professorship level) from the University of Münster.

Academic appointments Kordić taught and conducted research at various Croatian and German universities. From 1990 to 1991 she was an assistant at Osijek University, and from 1991 to 1995 she was an assistant at Zagreb University. She then moved to Germany and was a lecturer at the Bochum University from 1993 to 1998. She later served as an associate professor at the Münster University from 1998 to 2004. After that, she was a visiting professor at the Humboldt University of Berlin from 2004 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007 she was a lecturer at Frankfurt University.

Works and reception Snježana Kordić's main focal points in research and teaching are grammar, syntax, discourse analysis, text linguistics, textual cohesion, pragmatics, lexicology, corpus linguistics, quantitative linguistics, critical linguistics, sociolinguistics and language policy. She has authored over 150 linguistic publications, including textbooks, a grammar book, and three monographs, which have been translated into English, German or Spanish. Each of her books on syntactic issues has gotten more positive reviews from around the world than any other linguistic book published in Croatia.

Monograph on relative clauses in Serbo-Croatian (1995) Her first monograph on relative clauses was well received. Many reviewers commented favourably on it. Ian Press wrote:

This comprehensive study of relative clauses in Serbo-Croatian is a model of scholarly thoroughness and intellectual balance. [...] The work as a whole is most highly to be recommended to anyone studying relative clauses. Hans-Peter Stoffel underlined:This excellent and informative monograph should form part of the personal library of all those interested in this field. The book answers questions which have always been asked but to which one never seemed to obtain a satisfactory answer. Kordić's book fills this lacuna in a commendable way.

Monograph on Serbo-Croatian words on the border between lexicon and grammar (2002) In her second monograph, which has also been reviewed with approval, Snježana Kordić examines Serbo-Croatian words that oscillate between having a full lexical status and a functional grammatical status, a factor that has complicated their lexicographic and grammatical description in dictionaries and grammars. These are mainly lexemes which have a high frequency usage and are used in many different ways. The monograph provides information on the syntax, semantics and pragmatics of the usage of selected pronouns, nouns, particle, conjunctions and verbs. Matthew Feeney concluded his review by saying: Kordić provides much new information about the selected forms. This work will be of use to those who write in Croatian and Serbian, those who are writing grammars of the language, lexicographer, translators, students and teachers of the language, Slavic linguists and general linguists. Peter Herrity emphasised that:In all the chapters of this book the author has thoroughly researched the existing literature on the points covered and provided a conclusion on modern usage which will be invaluable for grammarians and lexicographers who often treat these subjects in a cursory fashion. This book will be a welcome addition to the field of Serbo-Croatian scholarship. Wayles Browne, an American expert on relative clauses, commented both of the books. He noted that Kordić's first book on relative clauses is: a valuable and thorough study of the grammar of relative constructions, drawing theoretical-linguistic inspiration from a number of sources and citing statistical results based on a large representative corpus. In the same review article, Browne pointed out that Kordić's second monographshares the virtues of her work on relative clauses, being empirically well supported and making references to a variety of traditions in linguistics. One is impressed to see, on its pages, apposite quotations from independently developed German, Russian, Polish, Czech, and English-American scholarship converging on similar views.

Monograph on language and nationalism in Croatia (2010)

Snježana Kordić's third monograph deals with sociolinguistic topics, including Croatia's language policy, the theory of pluricentric languages, and how identity, culture, nation, and history can be misused by politically motivated linguists. Kordić asserts that purism and prescriptivism have been the main features of Croatia's language policy since 1990. A ban on certain words perceived as "Serbian" and the idea that a word is more "Croatian" if fewer Croats understood it, resulted in the widespread impression that no one but a handful of linguists in Croatia knew the standard language.

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Snježana Kordić

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Snježana Kordić claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Snježana Kordić before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Snježana Kordić ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Snježana Kordić

In research: Snježana Kordić appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Snježana Kordić in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Snježana Kordić is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1964 births, 20th-century Croatian linguists, 20th-century Croatian non-fiction writers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Snježana Kordić outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Snježana Kordić in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Snježana Kordić in simple terms?

Snježana Kordić (pronounced [sɲěʒana kôːrditɕ] ; born October 29, 1964) is a Croatian linguist. In addition to her work in syntax, she has written on sociolinguistics.

Why does Snježana Kordić matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Snježana Kordić?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Snježana Kordić.