The Limits of Syntactic Variation

Editor

Theresa Biberauer | University of Cambridge and Stellenbosch University

Hardbound – Available

ISBN 9789027255150 | EUR 115.00 | USD 173.00

e-Book –

ISBN 9789027290663 | EUR 115.00 | USD 173.00

Against the background of the past half century’s typological and generative work on comparative syntax, this volume brings together 16 papers considering what we have learned and may still be able to learn about the nature and extent of syntactic variation. More specifically, it offers a multi-perspective critique of the Principles and Parameters approach to syntactic variation, evaluating the merits and shortcomings of the pre-Minimalist phase of this enterprise and considering and illustrating the possibilities opened up by recent empirical and theoretical advances. Contributions focus on four central topics: firstly, the question of the locus of variation, whether the attested variation may plausibly be understood in parametric terms and, if so, what form such parameters might take; secondly, the fate of one of the most prominent early parameters, the Null Subject Parameter; thirdly, the matter of parametric clusters more generally; and finally, acquisition issues.

[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today, 132] 2008. vii, 521 pp.

Publishing status: Available

https://doi.org/10.1075/la.132

Table of Contents

Preface & Acknowledgements | p. vii

Introduction | pp. 7–72

I. The locus of (parametric) variation

Parametric versus functional explanations of syntactic universals

Martin Haspelmath | pp. 75–107

Three fundamental issues in parametric linguistics

Chiara Gianollo, Cristina Guardiano and Giuseppe Longobardi | pp. 109–142

On the syntactic flexibility of formal features

Hedde Zeijlstra | pp. 143–173

Expletives, datives, and the tension between morphology and syntax

Richard S. Kayne | pp. 175–217

Mapping a parochial lexicon onto a universal semantics

Gillian Ramchand and Peter Svenonius | pp. 219–245

Aspect matters in the middle

Marika Lekakou | pp. 247–294

II. A classic parameter revisited: the null-subject parameter

The null subject parameter and correlating properties: The case of Creole languages

Marco Nicolis | pp. 271–294

The Case-F valuation parameter in Romance

Gerardo Fernández-Salgueiro | pp. 295–310

Silent arguments without pro: The case of Basque

Maia Duguine | pp. 311–329

Case morphology and radical pro-drop

Ad Neeleman and Kriszta Szendröi | pp. 331–348

III. Parametric clustering

The macroparameter in a microparametric world

Mark C. Baker | pp. 351–373

Topic prominence and null subjects

Marcello Modesto | pp. 375–409

Non-configurationality: Free word order and argument drop in Turkish

Balkız Öztürk | pp. 411–440

Diachronic stability and feature interpretability

E. Phoevos Panagiotidis | pp. 441–456

III. The acquisition of parameters

Can children tell us anything we did not know about parameter clustering?

Larisa Avram and Martine Coene | pp. 459–482

Parameter setting and input reduction

Arnold Ernest Evers and Jacqueline van Kampen | pp. 483–515

Index | pp. 517–521

Cited by

Cited by 29 other publications

Acedo-Matellán, Víctor, Theresa Biberauer, Jaume Mateu & Anna Pineda

2021. Into adpositions. Linguistic Variation 21:1 ► pp. 1 ff.

Biberauer, Theresa & Ian Roberts

2016. Parameter typology from a diachronic perspective. In Theoretical Approaches to Linguistic Variation [Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today, 234], ► pp. 259 ff.

2017. Parameter Setting. In The Cambridge Handbook of Historical Syntax, ► pp. 134 ff.

Bidese, Ermenegildo, Federica Cognola & Manuela Caterina Moroni

2016. Introduction. In Theoretical Approaches to Linguistic Variation [Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today, 234], ► pp. 1 ff.

Brandner, Ellen

2020. A “borderline case” of syntactic variation. Glossa: a journal of general linguistics 5:1

Ceolin, Andrea, Cristina Guardiano, Monica Alexandrina Irimia & Giuseppe Longobardi

2020. Formal Syntax and Deep History. Frontiers in Psychology 11

Cerrudo, Alba, Ángel J. Gallego & Francesc Roca Urgell

2021. Introduction. In Syntactic Geolectal Variation [Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics, 34], ► pp. 1 ff.

Colasanti, Valentina

2022. Micro-Contact in Southern Italy: Language Change in Southern Lazio under Pressure from Italian. Languages 7:4 ► pp. 286 ff.

Domínguez, Laura

2014. How suitable is the macro-micro parametric distinction in acquisition?. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism 4:3 ► pp. 325 ff.

D’Alessandro, Roberta & Tobias Scheer

2015. Modular PIC. Linguistic Inquiry 46:4 ► pp. 593 ff.

Gallego, Ángel J.

2020. Morpho-syntactic Variation in Romance v: A Micro-parametric Approach. Probus 32:2 ► pp. 401 ff.

Guardiano, Cristina, Giuseppe Longobardi, Guido Cordoni & Paola Crisma

2020. Formal Syntax as a Phylogenetic Method. In The Handbook of Historical Linguistics, ► pp. 145 ff.

Hermon, Gabriella

2009. Language typology and universal grammar: a commentary on the paper by Eric Potsdam. Natural Language & Linguistic Theory 27:4 ► pp. 773 ff.

Irwin, Patricia

2018. Existential unaccusativity and new discourse referents. Glossa: a journal of general linguistics 3:1

Kinn, Kari

2016. Referential vs. non-referential null subjects in Middle Norwegian. Nordic Journal of Linguistics 39:3 ► pp. 277 ff.

2017. Null arguments in old Norwegian. Linguistic Variation 17:2 ► pp. 309 ff.

Kinn, Kari, Kristian A. Rusten & George Walkden

2016. Null Subjects in Early Icelandic. Journal of Germanic Linguistics 28:1 ► pp. 31 ff.

Lekakou, Marika & Marcel Pitteroff

2018. This is personal: Impersonal middles as disposition ascriptions. Glossa: a journal of general linguistics 3:1

Li, Yen-hui Audrey & Wei Haley Wei

2019. Microparameters and language variation. Glossa: a journal of general linguistics 4:1

Longobardi, Giuseppe, Silvia Ghirotto, Cristina Guardiano, Francesca Tassi, Andrea Benazzo, Andrea Ceolin & Guido Barbujani

2015. Across language families: Genome diversity mirrors linguistic variation within E urope . American Journal of Physical Anthropology 157:4 ► pp. 630 ff.

Longobardi, Giuseppe & Cristina Guardiano

2017. Phylogenetic Reconstruction in Syntax: The Parametric Comparison Method. In The Cambridge Handbook of Historical Syntax, ► pp. 241 ff.

Longobardi, Giuseppe, Cristina Guardiano, Giuseppina Silvestri, Alessio Boattini & Andrea Ceolin

2015. Toward a syntactic phylogeny of modern Indo-European languages. In Proto-Indo-European Syntax and its Development [Benjamins Current Topics, 75], ► pp. 125 ff.

Madariaga, Nerea

2017. Understanding Grammars through Diachronic Change. Frontiers in Psychology 8

MEISEL, JÜRGEN M.

2011. Bilingual language acquisition and theories of diachronic change: Bilingualism as cause and effect of grammatical change. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 14:2 ► pp. 121 ff.

Newmeyer, Frederick J.

2019. Martin Joos’sReadings in Linguistics. Historiographia Linguistica 46:3 ► pp. 73 ff.

Ranero, Rodrigo

2018. Eguren Luis, Olga Fernández-Soriano & Amaya Mendikoetxea (eds.). Rethinking Parameters.. Linguistic Variation 18:1 ► pp. 197 ff.

Sakas, William Gregory & Janet Dean Fodor

2012. Disambiguating Syntactic Triggers. Language Acquisition 19:2 ► pp. 83 ff.

Tsimpli, Ianthi Maria

2014. Early, late or very late?. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism 4:3 ► pp. 283 ff.

ZHU, Jingtao & Anna GAVARRÓ

2019. Testing language acquisition models: null and overt topics in Mandarin. Journal of Child Language 46:04 ► pp. 707 ff.

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 6 march 2023. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Subjects

Linguistics

Generative linguistics

Syntax

Theoretical linguistics

Main BIC Subject

CFK: Grammar, syntax

Main BISAC Subject

LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General

U.S. Library of Congress Control Number: 2008024028 | Marc record