Professor Robert Mailhammer

Overview

Since its origin, human language has changed and diversified. About 6,000 languages are currently spoken, and each represents a unique way to see and talk about the world.

A historical linguist, Professor Mailhammer studies what makes languages diversify, how they become different, and their connections to the histories of their speakers.

One aim of his research is to explore the richness and sophistication of human language in all its  diversity, so language can be better appreciated and used for problem-solving -  especially in the case of Australian Indigenous languages.

His work is also able to shed light on unsolved puzzles, such as the settlement of Australia and how its Indigenous languages are connected.

His fields of study are language change, Australian Indigenous languages, multilingualism, language processing and language variation.

Language is a defining feature of humans and it is closely connected to human cognition, identity and behaviour. Understanding how language works and how it changes over time helps us to understand ourselves and how things might evolve in the future.

Impact

Apart from the creation of knowledge, which is an intrinsic contribution towards helping humankind, Professor Mailhammer’s research helps people understand their own histories, cognition and behaviour, and that of others.

His collaboration with Indigenous communities in north-western Arnhem Land has led to over $1.5 million in funding as well as many high-ranking journal publications, presentations, invitations and other outputs. It has provided insights into the settlement history of Australia, the diversity of languages, how language works and how it changes.

Importantly, this work has helped to support the wellbeing of Indigenous people in those communities by documenting and appreciating their languages and cultures.

An unexpected impact of my work has been to see the joy in the eyes of people seeing their language valued and being able to use it without shame or the feeling of inadequacy.

Professor Mailhammer’s research has also shaped understanding of the settlement history of Australia and Europe, and has applications for health and cognitive wellbeing, politics and international relations, communication, education, translation, culture/arts.

Career

Professor Mailhammer joined Western Sydney University as Lecturer in 2012 after positions in the US, Australia and Germany, following a PhD in Linguistics at the University of Munich in 2007. He was promoted to Professor in 2021.

He has held honorary appointments in Australia and Germany and has been a member of several editorial boards and international research centres.

His leadership roles include lead CI on over 10 research grants, supervisor of 19 postgraduate students, member of the Executive Committee of the Australian Linguistic Society (since 2017), Associate Dean, Research (2019-2020), Director of Academic Program (2021), Chair of the Professoriate Leadership Group (2020-2022), Chair of Academic Senate (since 2022).

Key publications

Mailhammer, Robert. 2021. English on Croker Island: the synchronic and diachronic dynamics of contact and variation. Topics in English Linguistics 109. Berlin/New York: De Gruyter Mouton

Shaw, Jason, Christopher Carignan, Tonya Agostini, Robert Mailhammer, Mark Harvey, & Donald Derrick. 2020. Phonological contrast and phonetic variation: The case of velars in Iwaidja. Language 96(3), 578-617

Mailhammer, Robert & Theo Vennemann. 2019. The Carthaginian North. Semitic Influence on Early Germanic. A Linguistic and Cultural Study. NOWELE Supplement Series 32. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins

Mailhammer Robert & Mark Harvey. 2018. A reconstruction of the Proto-Iwaidjan phoneme system. Australian Journal of Linguistics 38(3), 329-359

Harvey, Mark & Robert Mailhammer. 2017. Reconstructing remote relationships: Proto-Australian noun class prefixation. Diachronica 34(4), 470-515

Collaboration

Professor Mailhammer collaborates with communities, industry and other universities to document language and produce material.

He welcomes collaborations with academics, industry, students and communities on all aspects of language, especially the documentation of Australian Indigenous languages. He brings to the table over 20 years of experience in linguistics, outreach, community, academic research and teaching.

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