Variationist typology

Shared probabilistic constraints across (non-)null subject languages

Bibliographic Data

ID7913537
AuthorsRena Torres Cacoullos (0000-0001-6130-0371, Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese , Pennsylvania State University , University Park , PA 16802 , USA, corresponding author), Catherine E Travis (0000-0002-1410-3268, School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics , The Australian National University , Acton , ACT 2601 , Australia)
Year2019
Volume57
Issue3
Pages653-692
Publication date2019-05-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLinguistics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0024-3949 • E-ISSN: 1613-396X
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/ling-2019-0011
OpenAlexW2946926419
LanguageEN
Citations received21
References cited73

A key parameter in received classifications of language types is the expression of pronominal subjects. Here we compare variation patterns in conversational data of English – considered a non-null-subject language – and Spanish – a well-studied null-subject language. English has a patently lower rate of expression (approximately 3% unexpressed 1sg and 3sg human subjects vs. 60% in Spanish). Despite the stark difference in rate of expression, the same probabilistic constraints are at work in the two languages. Contrary to popular belief, VP coordination is neither a discrete nor a distinguishing category of English. Instead, a shared constraint is linking with the preceding subject, a refinement of accessibility to include, alongside coreferentiality, measures of structural connectedness – both prosodic and syntactic. Other shared constraints on unexpressed subjects are coreferential subject priming (a tendency to repeat the form of the previous mention) and lexical aspect (reflecting the contribution of a temporal relationship to subject expression). Where the languages most differ is in the envelope of variation. In English, besides coreferential-subject verbs conjoined with a coordinating conjunction, unexpressed subjects are limited to prosodic initial-position in declarative main clauses, a restriction that is absent in Spanish. We propose that the locus of cross-language comparisons is the variable structure of each language, defined by the set of probabilistic constraints but also the delimitation of the variable context within which these are operative

Constraint (computer-aided design) · Context (archaeology) · Expression (computer science) · Linguistics · Subject (documents) · Variation (astronomy) · Computer Science · History · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Mathematics · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Psychology · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

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