Language synchronization north and south of the Brenner Pass

Modeling the continuum

Bibliographic Data

ID21819983
AuthorsErmenegildo Bidese (0000-0002-9521-3089, University of Trento, corresponding author), Alessandra Tomaselli (0000-0003-1277-9640, University of Verona)
Year2021
Volume74
Issue1
Pages185-216
Publication date2021-04-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage Typology and Universals (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1867-8319 • E-ISSN: 2196-7148
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/stuf-2021-1028
OpenAlexW3141344927
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited29

The term Sprachbund refers to the convergence of typologically different languages in the same region and represents an interesting challenge to the notion of parameter conceived as a fixed value of a core syntactic option, i.e. ±null subjects. This contrast could be resolved by the methodological differentiation between surface forms and structural differences. Analyzing the status of clitic subjects and the effects of the so called “that-trace filter” in both Northern Italian and Bavarian dialects we will observe that continua primarily refer to surface forms – i.e. linear word orders – whereas the core option of a given (macro)parameter captures basic typological differences. In this perspective, we revisit the traditional Wellentheorie as a prototypical approach to analyze contact phenomena

Clitic · Geometry · Linguistics · Physics · Computer Science · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Linguistics and language evolution · Mathematics · Philosophy · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation · Artificial Intelligence

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