Research

Research Overview

I study how languages change through contact — particularly in highly multilingual and ecologically complex regions. My research brings together language documentation, typology, and spatial analysis to understand how structural patterns emerge and shift in contact zones.

I work primarily in the Eastern Himalayan region, where deep historical multilingualism, diverse ecological zones, and shifting political borders produce dynamic language ecologies that challenge existing models of typology and inheritance.

Dissertation Project

Language, Space, and Contact in the Eastern Himalayas

My dissertation investigates Tikhir, a Trans-Himalayan language spoken in eastern Nagaland, India. Working closely with the Tikhir community, I examine:

• Dialectal variation across village networks
• Contact-driven structural change
• Language shift under sociopolitical pressure

This project combines community-led documentation with spatial and areal analysis to understand how languages interact over time and space.

Learn more: Tikhir documentation project
Supported by: ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship

Selected Talks & Presentations

• “Investigating the Structure of Eastern Himalayan Region Numeral Classifiers”
  ICHL 26 (2023) — Slides / Abstract

• “Questioning the Areal Hypothesis for North-East Indian Classifiers”
  fASAL 13 (2023) — Slides / Abstract

• Language Contact and Ecology in South Asia
  UCLA Guest Lecture (2025) — More detail

Work in Progress

• Complex Areas, Complex Answers: Investigating the Structure of Eastern Himalayan Region Numeral Classifiers (in prep)

Related Pages

• Publications & Talks — full list in CV
• Blog — for updates and reflections from the field
• Teaching — learn how I integrate research into pedagogy
• About — background, interests, and contact info