Dr Marc Olivier-Loiseau
Academic linguist
I am a Lecturer in Linguistics based at the University of Oxford, UK.
My research lies at the intersection of formal syntax and historical linguistics, with a focus on Old French and Old Occitan. I am particularly interested in clitics, clause size, infinitives, Restructuring and related transparency effects.
Prior to my current post, I held research and teaching positions at Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University. I have a PhD in Linguistics, with specialisation in historical syntax. In 2023, I was awarded a Seal of Excellence by the European Commission in recognition of the quality of my research. I currently sit on the Executive Committee of Societas Linguistica Europaea, the largest linguistics society in Europe.
Where to meet me:
In May, Anna Paradis and I will give a talk on restructuring in Romance at the Nouălea simpozion internațional de lingvistică in Bucharest.
This summer I will present work on Italian syntax at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica Europaea, in Helsinki.
I will present work on auxiliary switch at the historical linguistics session of the International Congress of Linguists in Poznań, Poland.
With Afra Pujol i Campeny, I am organising the 2025 edition of DiGS, to take place at Trinity College, Oxford.
Miscellaneous:
Oxford is one of the rare places in the UK where students can learn about Occitan. I am co-convener for the Occitan Reading Group, which meets weekly. We read and translate Medieval and Modern Occitan texts, with the aim of learning more about the language and the linguistics of Occitan each week. If you're in Oxford, you're very welcome to join! You don't need to have any prior knowledge of Occitan (though being familiar with a Romance language is recommended). If you are an experienced Occitanist, watch this space for the Occitan Studies Day, an international, interdisciplinary, and multilingual conference that I organise in May in Oxford.