Research Bio

Peter Jenks is a linguist whose research investigates the ways that the languages of the world are different, as well as what properties that they might all share. He is an expert in syntax (the structure of sentences) and semantics (how these sentences convey the meanings that they do). In his research he employs theoretical models to precisely describe the inner workings of a broad array of languages, asking what insights they provide about the human language capacity. He has extensive experience working on East and Southeast Asian languages, particularly Thai, as well as on several languages of subsaharan Africa, particularly Kordofanian languages spoken in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan.

He is Associate Professor of Linguistics at UC Berkeley. His research has been published in Linguistic Inquiry, Natural Language & Linguistic Theory, and Language. Jenks has received NSF funding and recognition from the Linguistic Society of America for his contributions to syntactic theory and language documentation. At Berkeley, he teaches syntax and semantics, mentoring students in linguistic fieldwork and theoretical analysis.

Research Expertise and Interest

syntax, semantics, morphology, linguistic theory, Thai, Southeast Asian languages, African languages