Do languages spoken in multilingual communities converge? A case study of reflexivity marking in Mano and Kpelle

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4844997
AutoresMaria Khachaturyan (0000-0001-6758-9575, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies , 3835 University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland), George Moroz (0000-0003-1990-6083, HSE University, Linguistic Convergence Laboratory , Moscow , Russian Federation), Pé Mamy (Independent Researcher , Nzérékoré , Guinea)
Ano2024
Volume62
Fascículo5
Páginas1225-1250
Data de publicação2024-09-25
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoLinguistics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0024-3949 • E-ISSN: 1613-396X
EditoraWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/ling-2022-0111
OpenAlexW4396570016
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas3
Referências citadas36

This paper explores variation in the patterns of reflexivity marking in the Mano language and possible influence from the Kpelle language by using an experimental design with a picture questionnaire. While Kpelle does not have a morphological distinction between reflexive and basic pronouns, the Mano variety spoken by Mano-dominant individuals does possess such a distinction in 3sg. In contrast, the Mano variety spoken by Kpelle-dominant individuals shows a pattern borrowing from Kpelle into Mano, whereby the basic pronoun is used for both coreferential and disjoint readings. In a bilingual village, however, despite daily usage of both languages, almost all speakers from our sample manifest a uniform pattern that aligns closely with the monolingual Mano pattern of reflexivity marking. Therefore, the intensity of contact alone does not predict the amount of influence of Kpelle on Mano. Contrary to predictions by Labov (2010. Principles of linguistic change. Volume 3, Cognitive and cultural factors. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell: 5), we conclude that the languages spoken in a multilingual speech community do not necessarily converge and that a balanced multilingual community may provide enough input to acquire monolingual-like competence, at least according to the specific parameter under investigation. In the long run, however, convergence between Mano and Kpelle could indeed be taking place, with Mano losing its reflexivity contrasts, having already lost the contrast in 3pl

Reflexivity · Variation (astronomy · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation