Demonstration:  A Database of Personal and Demonstrative Pronoun Paradigms

Elizabeth Ritter	ritter@ucalgary.ca
Heather Bliss		heather@mountaintopsports.ca
University of Calgary

The goal of our database is to document the personal and demonstrative systems of a 
representative sample of the world's languages.  The database is designed with research 
on both individual languages and typological or cross-linguistic studies in mind, and 
currently includes information on 108 different languages.  We have tried to insure that 
information on each language and its pronominal system is detailed and accurate, that the 
treatment of all languages is consistent, and that the information in the database is 
organized in such a way that it is conducive to cross-linguistic comparison.

Significant features of this database include:

a.	Annotated paradigm tables of demonstrative and personal pronouns, (normally in IPA 
- with notes on departures from transcription in source materials.)
b.	Summary information on inflectional features of pronouns (person, number, gender, 
case, deixis, formality, etc.) for each language
c.	Summary of noteworthy properties, and other useful information about pronouns for 
each language
d.	Basic information on each language, including family, location, alternate names, and 
complete references for source materials.

This database was developed using Filemaker Pro v.5.0 for the Mac.  It has a complex 
structure which consists of a number of interacting files, fields, and records, to maximize 
accuracy and flexibility in the representation of our data.  Decisions on how to document  
data have been driven by linguistic considerations.  The result is a database that derives 
from the complex interplay of both technical and linguistic solutions.