Gunnar Ólafur Hansson
Associate Professor
Linguistics
Faculty of Arts
Research Themes: Language, Sustainability and Transnationalism
Gunnar Ólafur Hansson is Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Faculty Associate of the Peter Wall Institute of Advanced Studies.
His primary field of research is theoretical phonology and the interfaces of phonology with other levels of linguistic structure. An underlying theme in much of Gunnar’s research is an emphasis on the interplay of diachronic (historical) and synchronic (system-internal) factors in shaping the properties of language systems. Most of his ongoing research revolves around long-distance dependencies in phonology, and the typological, computational and learnability properties of such sound patterns.
Another area of interest is morphological paradigms and various issues relating to their manifestation: inflectional classes, allomorphy, syncretism patterns and paradigm gaps. Although his research focus is broadly typological, rather than concentrated on a particular language or region, he also works on the phonetics, phonology and morphology of Icelandic (his first language).
Gunnar is Co-Editor, together with Marit Julien and Matti Miestamo, of the Nordic Journal of Linguistics (Cambridge University Press).
