Linguistic Variation in the Minimalist Framework

In this book, leading scholars consider the ways in which syntactic variation can be accounted for in a minimalist framework. They explore the theoretical significance, content, and role of parameters; whether or not variation should be strongly or weakly accounted for by syntactic factors; and the explicitness - or lack thereof - should be assumed with respect to the conditions imposed by narrow syntax. The book is divided into two parts. The first part contains chapters that consider the term 'parameter' to be a relevant theoretical notion under minimalist tenets. In the second part, on the other hand, chapters either argue that the term parameter amounts to no more than a label to describe variation, or assign it a less prominent role. Instead, language variation is attributed to sociolinguistic factors, language contact, frequency of use, or simply to options in the externalization of abstract syntactic relations. The book offers a valuable overview of the different approaches adopted in the study of language variation phenomena, and will appeal to theoretical linguists of all persuasions from graduate level upwards.1. Introduction: Syntactic variation and minimalist inquiries ; PART I: THE PARAMETRIC APPROACH: THE PP REVISITED VIEW ; 2. On the elements of syntactic variation ; 3. Types of cross-linguistic variation in case assignment ; 4. Parameters and the three factors of language design ; 5. Cross-linguistic variation in the syntax of subjects ; 6. Contact and change in a Minimalist theory of variation ; 7. Towards elegant parameters: Language variation reduces to the size of lexicaly-stored trees ; PART II VARIATION WITHOUT PARAMETERS ; 8. What Principles and Parameters got wrong ; 9. Variability and grammatical architecture ; 10. Syntactic doubling and deletion as a source of variation ; 11. Some concluding remarks