Chief Researcher, Department of Caucasian Languages
Biography
Born in Icari, the Republic of Dagestan, USSR, 1961. Having graduated from the Russian-Dagestanian department of the Dagestan State University, Faculty of Philology, worked as a school teacher of the Dargwa language and literature. Applied to Tsadasa Institute of Language, Literature, and Art for graduate studies in 1986. Served as a teacher at the Dagestanian Languages Department, Dagestan State University, from 1989 to 2009 (Prof. since 2004). Worked on his Dr.habil. thesis in 2000-2002. Oversaw the DSU Laboratory for Linguistic Studies in 2001-2008. Served as Director for the Centre of Dagestanian Languages and Literature in 2008-2009. Employed at the Department of Caucasian Languages, Institute of Linguistics RAS since 2010 as Leading Researcher (2010-2011) and Chief Researcher (from 2011 to the present).
Theses:
1992: PhD thesis Icarinskij dialekt darginskogo jazyka [The Icari dialect of the Dargwa language];
2003: Dr.habil. thesis Morfologičeskij stroj glagola darginskogo jazyka [Morphology of the Dargwa verb].
Research interests: Caucasian studies, the Dargwa language, formal modeling of a language, digital language resources, corpus linguistics, morphology, aspectology, syntax, lexicography, Dargwa dialectology, documentation of minority languages.
Has published 129 academic papers, among which are 4 monographs. Rasul Mutalov has developed a novel approach for description and classification of the grammatical languages in Dargwa. This method (named "matrix" by him) was first used in his "The verb in the Dargwa language" monograph. This approach allows for a more exact and specific description and classification of a given language's categories. His "A Grammar of Icari Dargwa" monograph, co-written with Sumbatova, N., was commissioned by the European Linguistic Committee. It was first published in English, in Munich, Germany. For more detail on his professional work and achievements see this link(in Russian).
Participation in scientific conferences:
Has given 58 presentations, 27 of which were given on international conferences and symposia. Among those were conferences held in Leiden (the Netherlands, 1996), Paris (France, 2006), Macerata (Italy, 2010), Leipzig (Germany, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015), Pavia (Italy, 2014), Chicago (the USA, 2015), Bamberg (Germany, 2016), and others.
Grants and research projects:
- Informational and search system "Digital dictionary of the Dargwa language". Principal investigator. 2015-2016. RFH grant.
- Documenting Dargi languages in Dagestan: Shiri and Sanzhi. Principal investigator. 2012-2016. Volkswagen Stiftung grant.
- The Great Dargwa-Russian dictionary. Principal investigator. 2010-2012. RFH grant.
- National corpora of the Daghestanian languages. Principal investigator. 2007-2009. RFBR grant.
- Corpus studies of the predicate-argument structure in the Nakh-Daghestanian languages. Project participant, principal investigator Ganenkov, D. 2014-2016. RSF grant.
- Areal distribution of the grammar characteristics in Dargwa and other languages of the Central Dagestan. Project participant, principal investigator Sumbatova, N. RFH grant.
- New Russian and Western European borrowings in the Daghestanian languages. Project participant, principal investigator Gadzhiametov, N. 2010-2011. RFBR grant.
- Syntax in the Daghestanian languages. Principal investigator. 2004-2006. RFH grant.
- The verb system in the Daghestanian languages. Principal investigator. 2002-2003. RFH grant.
- Deixis typology in the Daghestanian languages. Project participant, principal investigator Mallaeva, Z. RFH grant.
- Folkloric, literature, and linguistics studies of the peoples of Dagestan. Project participant, principal investigator Mazanaev, Sh. 2009-2010. Ministry of Education and Science grant.
- Grammar of closely-related languages from the typological point of view (using the Dargin languages as an example). Project participant, principal investigator Sumbatova, N. RFH grant.
Academic mobility:
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany) - 2009, 2014;
- University of Bamberg (Bamberg, Germany) – 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016;
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (Nijmegen, the Netherlands) – 2011;
- Delivered lectures as a visiting professor at the University of Regensburg (Regensburg, Germany) – 2009.
Fieldwork:
Participated in linguistic field studies of the Theoretical and Applied Linguistics Department, led by Kibrik, A.; studied the Dargwa language (1991), the Bezhta language (2003). Took part in fieldwork while studying at the Tsadasa Institute of Language, Literature, and Art; observed the Dargwa language (1987, 1988, 1989). Participated in HSE fieldwork concerned with language contacts in Dagestan, led by Dobrushina, N. (2013-2014).
Participation in thesis committees: at the Institute of Linguistics RAS, at the Dagestan State University, at the Dagestan State Pedagogical University.
Teaching career:
Delivered lectures and conducted seminars for students of the Russian-Dagestanian department of the Faculty of Philology, Dagestan State University. Delivered courses on the contemporary Dargwa, on the history, dialectology, and stylistics of Dargwa. Oversaw the students' practical work at the same university.
Education and methodology written works:
- Caucasian Studies, curriculum program. Introductory course for graduate students, Caucasian languages major. Мoscow, 2012. P. 14.
- Entrance exam program for graduate students, Languages of the Russian Federation (Caucasian languages) major. Moscow, 2012. P. 8.
- Workbook for the Contemporary Dargwa course. Co-authored with Gasanova, U. Makhachkala, 2009. P. 120.
- Dialectology of the Dargwa language, curriculum program. Makhachkala, 2008. P. 18.
- Practical course of the Dargwa language. Makhachkala, 1999. P. 24.
- Stylistics of the Dargwa language, curriculum program. Makhachkala, 1999. P. 15.
- Contemporary Dargwa language. Phonetics. Lexicology. Word derivation. Morphology. Syntax. Teaching materials. Co-authored with Gasanova, U., Musaev, M.-S. Makhachkala, 2009.
Advising graduate and doctoral students:
Rasul Mutalov advised and directed 9 graduate student in their PhD thesis preparation (Bagatyrova M., Magomedova N., Gusenova N., Ibragimova G., Radzhabova N., Mishaeva M., Umarkhanova A., Magomedova E., Shakhbanova P.) Currently he is the research advisor for two PhD theses and one Dr.habil. thesis.
Participation in editorial boards for journals and periodicals:
Member of editorial boards for:
- Caucasian Linguistic Herald (Institute of Linguistics RAS);
- Modern inquiries in the Caucasian linguistic studies and Turkic studies (Dagestan State University, Makhachkala);
- Inquiries in the Caucasian linguistic studies (Dagestan State University, Makhachkala).
Member of the European Society of Caucasian Studies
Public outreach
Initiated and participated in the restoration of the Icari defensive tower, XVI century, Dagestan. The structure is recognized as a World Heritage site. Worked to restore the Icari feudal fortress, XI century. Published the following pamphlets for general audiences; "The genealogy of the Icari Tukkhum", "Islam, easy and accessible", "Microtoponyms of Icari". Prepared the "Icari fortress: history and present day" book for publication. Regularly delivers information in the media on the native languages preservation and their study.
Awards and honorary titles:
Honored worker of science of the Republic of Dagestan (2011).
Science Index
Selected publications
Full list of publications is available here (in Russian).
- Mutalov, R. Glagol darginskogo jazyka [The verb in the Dargwa language]. IPC DGU. Maxačkala, 2002. P. 220.
- Sumbatova, N. & Mutalov, R. A Grammar of Icari Dargwa. Munich: LINCOM Europa, 2003. P. 257.
- Slovoobrazovatel’nyj slovar’ glagolov icarinskogo dialekta darginskogo jazyka [Etymological dictionary of the Icari Dargwa verbs]. ISAA, Moscow, 2011. P. 936.
- Gasanova, U. & Mutalov, R. Sovremennyj darginskij jazyk [Contemporary Dargwa language]. Izdatel’sko-poligrafičeskij centr DGU. Maxačkala, 2010. P. 120.
- The linguistic situation in Central Daghestan. Language in Daghestan, international conference. Chicago University. May 14-15th, 2015. P. 17-18.
- Mood in Dargwa Languages. Diversity Linguistics: Retrospect and Prospect, international conference. Leipzig, Germany. May 1st-3rd, 2015.
- Forker, D. & Mutalov, R. Preverbs in Standard Dargi and Icari/Sanzhi. Workshop: East Caucasian preverbs and the compounding - derivation - inflection continuum. Pavia, Italy. September 11th, 2014.
- The tense and aspect system of Standard Dargwa. Tense, aspect, modality and evidentiality in Nakh-Daghestanian languages, international conference. Leipzig, Germany. 2013.
- On subordination in Dargi. Morphosyntaxe des langues du Caucase Paris 11-14 décembre 2006. INALCO. Paris, 2006.