Matthew S. Dryer
= Matthew S. Dryer
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<Matthew S. Dryer> is a <linguist> whose research combines <linguistic typology>, <syntax> and language documentation. His work has developed cross-language comparisons of <word order> and related structural properties, and he coedited the <World Atlas of Language Structures>.<Research profile by Matthew S. Dryer>[research statement, comparative database and atlas contribution]{ref}
His atlas chapter on the order of <subject (grammar)>, <object (grammar)> and <verb> makes the comparison operational. It specifies the constructions considered and defines the participant labels for that purpose, rather than assuming that every grammatical framework uses the labels identically.<Order of Subject, Object and Verb by Matthew S. Dryer>[§1, declarative transitive constructions and operational A/P roles]{ref}
This illustrates a central measurement problem in comparative research. Counting languages under a label is reproducible only if another researcher can determine which documented constructions satisfy it. Missing data, a different construction type or a changed coding rule can alter a count without representing a historical change in the language itself. Linking each observation to its definition and evidence lets a <lexical database> or grammatical dataset support testable comparisons.
\Image[https://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~dryer/MatthewDryer.jpg]
{title=Portrait of <Matthew S. Dryer>}
{description=Named photograph linked from his https://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~dryer/[official university-hosted research profile].}
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