Complexity in Complementation

De Gruyter eBooks, pp. 264–276

Abstract

This paper presents the contours of an innovative study probing the impact of interindividual differences in cognitive representations on long-term population-level language change. Focussing on the system of English verb complementation, the study seeks to offer a unified cognitive and socio-linguistic account of syntactic variation and change that has so far been missing. In particular, it investigates (i) idiolectal variation in the constraints on alternating complementation patterns; (ii) the interaction between the linguistic behaviour of individuals and the (changing) distribution of grammatical variants at the population- level across different time stages. The research is carried out by modelling the observed patterns of stability or diffusion in terms of the weakening and strengthening of grammatical and cognitive constraints within a socially homogeneous group of individuals.

Authors 3

1. Hubert Cuyckens Aachen

   Leiden University · KU Leuven · University of Antwerp

   Affiliation as printed

   Dept. of Linguistics -KU Leuven, Blijde-Inkomststraat 21, Box 3308, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,

   Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Arsenaalplein 1, 2311CT Leiden, The Netherlands,

   University of Antwerp -Dept. of Linguistics, Prinsstraat 13, S.D.216, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium,

2. Lauren Fonteyn Aachen

   Leiden University · KU Leuven · University of Antwerp

   Affiliation as printed

   Dept. of Linguistics -KU Leuven, Blijde-Inkomststraat 21, Box 3308, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,

   Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Arsenaalplein 1, 2311CT Leiden, The Netherlands,

   University of Antwerp -Dept. of Linguistics, Prinsstraat 13, S.D.216, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium,

3. Peter Petré Aachen

   Leiden University · KU Leuven · University of Antwerp

   Affiliation as printed

   Dept. of Linguistics -KU Leuven, Blijde-Inkomststraat 21, Box 3308, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,

   Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Arsenaalplein 1, 2311CT Leiden, The Netherlands,

   University of Antwerp -Dept. of Linguistics, Prinsstraat 13, S.D.216, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium,