<OT> New Posting: ROA-564

[roa@equinox.rutgers.edu]

ROA 564-1202

>From synchrony to diachrony: Topic salience and cross-linguistic patterns
of agreement

Yukiko Morimoto <morimoto@phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de>

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=564


Abstract:
Recent advances in Optimality theoretic syntax are
characterized by attempts toward a unified approach to 
linguistic typology and language-internal variation. On 
the other hand, studies in synchronic (sociolinguistic) 
variation have long recognized and articulated the 
obvious link between language variation and historical 
change. Yet these domains of research continue without 
much reference to the relation between synchronic 
typology and diachronic change. This paper attempts to 
bridge the long-standing gulf between synchronic 
typology and diachronic (morpho)syntax. The agreement 
systems in Bantu languages provide an excellent 
empirical tool for such an attempt, because the 
historical source of agreement--the notion of `topic 
salience'--is quite transparent in the synchronic 
grammars. Furthermore we observe variation in the 
agreement properties across the Bantu family that 
suggests a path of diachronic change. I argue that the 
system of universal, violable constraints in OT enables 
us to provide a unified approach to synchrony and 
diachrony by situating the variation in a diachronic 
context within a single typological space.

Keywords: topicality hierarchy, agreement, subject-object reversal, Bantu,
synchrony and diachrony

Areas: Syntax

Direct link: http://roa.rutgers.edu/view.php3?roa=564