Rebecca Jarvis

I am a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in the Department of Linguistics at Universität Potsdam and a member of the Potsdam Morpho-Syntax Lab. My main theoretical interests are in syntax, semantics, and their interface. I conduct language documentation work with speakers of Atchan, a Kwa language spoken in Côte d'Ivoire.

My work is particularly motivated by questions about the mapping between syntax and semantics: for instance, when different syntactic strategies in different languages support the same semantic operations, and how particular syntactic strategies enable or constrain possible meanings. I approach these questions with an empirical focus on A’-phenomena, pronominal syntax and semantics, and clausal embedding. 

I received my PhD in linguistics from UC Berkeley in 2025. Before that, I received my BA in linguistics and mathematics from Harvard University and spent a year in Germany on a Fulbright Fellowship. In my free time, I enjoy running, hiking, climbing, and trying out various handicrafts.