Helsingin yliopisto - Englantilainen filologia

Leena Kahlas-Tarkka

PhD, University Lecturer, Researcher
Room: C625
Consultation hour: Wed 16-17 (spring) (On research leave for the autumn term 2009)

Telephone National (09) 191 22532 (office)
Telephone International +358 9 191 22532

Telephone National (09) 191 24980 (research)
Telephone International +358 9 191 24980

E-mail: leena.kahlas-tarkka(at)helsinki.fi

Research interests

My research is mainly focused on diachronic study of English, particularly on Old and Middle English syntax. Medieval studies in a wider sense are also in the centre of my teaching and research interests. I have recently finished a chapter on Old and Middle English language for a handbook for Finnish mediaevalists. Indefinite pronouns have been a long-time area of my research, and I am currently working on universal compound pronouns, as well as on reciprocal expressions, in the earliest phases of English. I am also interested in the grammaticalisation processes within pronominal paradigms.

I am a member of the Early English Text and Corpus Studies (EETACS) project. Since 2002 I have also been involved in the international Salem Witchcraft Trials project, transcribing documents for the forthcoming new scholarly edition of the trial papers.