Linguistic Universals and Language Variation

✍ Scribed by Peter Siemund (editor)

• Publisher: De Gruyter Mouton
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 480
• Series: Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs [TiLSM]; 231
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The volume explores the relationship between linguistic universals and language variation. Its contributions identify the recurrent patterns and principles behind the complex spectrum of observable variation. The volume bridges the gap between cross-linguistic variation, regional variation, diachronic variation, contact-induced variation as well as socially conditioned variation. Moreover, it addresses fundamental methodological and theoretical issues of variation research.

The volume brings together internationally renowned specialists of their fields while, at the same time, offering a platform for gifted and highly talented young researchers. The authors come from different theoretical backgrounds and through their work illustrate a rich array of scientific methods. All authors share a strong belief in empirically founded theoretical work.

The contributions span a high number of languages and dialects from many parts of the world. They are extremely broad in their empirical coverage addressing an impressive selection of grammatical domains.

✦ Table of Contents

Table of contents
List of contributors
Universals and variation: an introduction
Part 1 Varieties and cross-linguistic variation
Causal clauses: a cross-linguistic investigation of their structure, meaning, and use
Two euroversals in a global perspective: auxiliation and alignment
The diachronic development of article-possessor complementarity in the history of Italian and Portuguese
Variation as a window on universals
Part 2 Contact-induced variation
Gender and contact – a Natural Morphology perspective on Scandinavian examples
Universals of structural borrowing
Part 3 Methodological issues of variation research
Variation and reproducibility in linguistics
Parameters of morphosyntactic variation in World Englishes: prospects and limitations of searching for universals
Comparing varieties of English: problems and perspectives
Part 4 Variation and linguistic theory
Norwegian main clause declaratives: variation within and across grammars
Syntactic variation and change in Romance: a Minimalist approach
A localistic approach to universals and variation
Lexicon, phonology and phonetics. Or: rule-based and usage-based approaches to phonological variation
Index