Explaining morpho-syntactic variation and change

Bülow, Lars und Vergeiner, Philip C. (2024): Explaining morpho-syntactic variation and change. The case of subjunctive II in the Bavarian dialects of Austria. In: Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft, Vol. 43, No. 1: pp. 147-169

Abstract

This paper aims to explain recent empirical findings on subjunctive II formation in the Bavarian dialects of Austria from both functional and formal perspectives. For this purpose, the explanatory power of the functional principles of natural morphology (NM) is compared with the formal framework of constructional morphology (CxM). It is argued that the two approaches complement each other. Thus, it is shown that the key concepts of NM (constructional iconicity, uniformity and transparency) can easily be adapted in terms of CxM. These adjustments are needed to explain the ongoing changes in subjunctive II formation in the Bavarian dialects of Austria. This is due to the well-documented shift towards the use of periphrastic constructions (with the täte- and würde-auxiliary) that are located at the interface between morphology and syntax.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Keywords: constructional morphology ; natural morphology ; subjunctive II ; Bavarian dialects in Austria ; iconicity
• Faculties: Languages and Literatures > Department 1
• Subjects: 400 Language > 430 German and related languages
• ISSN: 1613-3706