Predicate constituent order variation in the Spanish-Quechua contact situation of Cusco, Peru
Document Type
Paper Presentation
Presenter Language
English
Research Area
Language contact
Location
MBSC Dodge Room 302
Start Date
17-10-2024 1:30 PM
End Date
17-10-2024 2:00 PM
Abstract
This study examines predicate constituent order variation (object-verb/verb-object) in the varieties of Andean Spanish and Quechua spoken in Cusco. Though the investigated languages exhibit mirror-image ordering typologies— VO-dominant order in Andean Spanish and OV-dominant order in Quechua—a relatively high incidence of non-canonical order is attested in both languages, as exemplified in (1) and (2). In Andean Spanish, OV order occurs at a rate ranging from 17-28% (Klee 1996; Muntendam 2009; Muysken 1984; Ocampo & Klee 1995), which exceeds the rates reported for non-contact varieties, like Rio Platense Spanish, 6.9% (Ocampo 1995). Similarly, predicate constituent order is quite variable in Quechua, with non-canonical VO order rates ranging from 10.8% to 85.1% depending on the region and data elicitation method (Kalt & Geary 2021; Sánchez 2003). In general, predicate constituent order variation in both languages is attributed to indirect contact, though social factors (e.g. socioeconomic status) and linguistic factors (e.g., information structure) also reportedly condition variation in this syntactic domain.
Using naturalistic speech data elicited via Sociolinguistic Interviews from monolingual (Andean Spanish) and bilingual (Andean Spanish-Quechua) Cusqueño participants, I conclude that variable predicate constituent order constitutes a linguistic change mediated by language contact. Applying the relevant criteria for establishing contact-induced change advanced by Poplack & Levey (2010), I compare OV/VO variation in each language in both a vertical (i.e., current versus earlier versions of a language) and horizontal (i.e., recipient versus source language) fashion. Concerning the former, through an apparent-time analysis I find an inverse correlation between age and VO order frequency in both Andean Spanish and Quechua. This finding suggests a change in progress in which OV/VO variation is moving toward the prescriptive norm in Andean Spanish and moving away from the prescriptive norm in Quechua. Next, through a horizontal comparison I find evidence of two parallel structures—OV order with demonstrative and universally-quantified pronominal objects and VO order with explicit subjects, as illustrated in (3) and (4), respectively. I argue that, taken together, the change in progress and existence of parallel structures constituent evidence of bidirectional contact-induced change in the Quechua-Spanish contact situation regarding predicate constituent order variation.
Predicate constituent order variation in the Spanish-Quechua contact situation of Cusco, Peru
MBSC Dodge Room 302
This study examines predicate constituent order variation (object-verb/verb-object) in the varieties of Andean Spanish and Quechua spoken in Cusco. Though the investigated languages exhibit mirror-image ordering typologies— VO-dominant order in Andean Spanish and OV-dominant order in Quechua—a relatively high incidence of non-canonical order is attested in both languages, as exemplified in (1) and (2). In Andean Spanish, OV order occurs at a rate ranging from 17-28% (Klee 1996; Muntendam 2009; Muysken 1984; Ocampo & Klee 1995), which exceeds the rates reported for non-contact varieties, like Rio Platense Spanish, 6.9% (Ocampo 1995). Similarly, predicate constituent order is quite variable in Quechua, with non-canonical VO order rates ranging from 10.8% to 85.1% depending on the region and data elicitation method (Kalt & Geary 2021; Sánchez 2003). In general, predicate constituent order variation in both languages is attributed to indirect contact, though social factors (e.g. socioeconomic status) and linguistic factors (e.g., information structure) also reportedly condition variation in this syntactic domain.
Using naturalistic speech data elicited via Sociolinguistic Interviews from monolingual (Andean Spanish) and bilingual (Andean Spanish-Quechua) Cusqueño participants, I conclude that variable predicate constituent order constitutes a linguistic change mediated by language contact. Applying the relevant criteria for establishing contact-induced change advanced by Poplack & Levey (2010), I compare OV/VO variation in each language in both a vertical (i.e., current versus earlier versions of a language) and horizontal (i.e., recipient versus source language) fashion. Concerning the former, through an apparent-time analysis I find an inverse correlation between age and VO order frequency in both Andean Spanish and Quechua. This finding suggests a change in progress in which OV/VO variation is moving toward the prescriptive norm in Andean Spanish and moving away from the prescriptive norm in Quechua. Next, through a horizontal comparison I find evidence of two parallel structures—OV order with demonstrative and universally-quantified pronominal objects and VO order with explicit subjects, as illustrated in (3) and (4), respectively. I argue that, taken together, the change in progress and existence of parallel structures constituent evidence of bidirectional contact-induced change in the Quechua-Spanish contact situation regarding predicate constituent order variation.