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Word order variation in heritage languages

Subject shift and object shift in Norwegian
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Abstract

This study investigates two word order phenomena in Norwegian heritage language spoken in the US, subject shift (SS) and object shift (OS). SS and OS occur in syntactic environments where (pronominal) subjects and objects may either precede or follow negation. This paper explores to what extent these two phenomena in Heritage Norwegian are affected by the factors frequency and structural similarity/difference. As subjects are frequently shifted, while objects are not, SS is expected to be robust and OS vulnerable. There is generally no structural overlap between English and Norwegian in these cases; thus, cross-linguistic similarity or difference should not play a role, except in one context: questions with auxiliaries or be, in which the two languages allow both orders (is he not/isn’t he), but have opposite preferences. The results show that OS is somewhat vulnerable, but SS is also affected, in that both proficient and less proficient speakers seem to overuse the word order preferred in English. We thus speculate that all heritage speakers may be affected by cross-linguistic influence in situations with complete structural overlap.

Abstract

This study investigates two word order phenomena in Norwegian heritage language spoken in the US, subject shift (SS) and object shift (OS). SS and OS occur in syntactic environments where (pronominal) subjects and objects may either precede or follow negation. This paper explores to what extent these two phenomena in Heritage Norwegian are affected by the factors frequency and structural similarity/difference. As subjects are frequently shifted, while objects are not, SS is expected to be robust and OS vulnerable. There is generally no structural overlap between English and Norwegian in these cases; thus, cross-linguistic similarity or difference should not play a role, except in one context: questions with auxiliaries or be, in which the two languages allow both orders (is he not/isn’t he), but have opposite preferences. The results show that OS is somewhat vulnerable, but SS is also affected, in that both proficient and less proficient speakers seem to overuse the word order preferred in English. We thus speculate that all heritage speakers may be affected by cross-linguistic influence in situations with complete structural overlap.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Two sides of one coin? 1
  5. Definiteness in Wenzhounese Chinese in the Netherlands and in China 15
  6. Effects of first language attrition on heritage language input and ultimate attainment 33
  7. Not in the mood 71
  8. Word order variation in heritage languages 99
  9. Language contact 125
  10. How do parental input and socio-economic status account for differences within and between the cohorts? 151
  11. Heritage and non-heritage bilinguals 171
  12. High sensitivity to conceptual cues in Turkish heritage speakers with dominant German L2 197
  13. The Frequency Code and gendered attrition and acquisition in the German-English heritage language community in Vancouver, Canada 229
  14. Does extensive L2 exposure trigger L1 attrition of perfective and durative aspect marking in Mandarin Chinese? 255
  15. Author Index 271
  16. Language Index 273
  17. Subject Index 275
Lost in Transmission
This chapter is in the book Lost in Transmission
https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.59.04and

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Two sides of one coin? 1
  5. Definiteness in Wenzhounese Chinese in the Netherlands and in China 15
  6. Effects of first language attrition on heritage language input and ultimate attainment 33
  7. Not in the mood 71
  8. Word order variation in heritage languages 99
  9. Language contact 125
  10. How do parental input and socio-economic status account for differences within and between the cohorts? 151
  11. Heritage and non-heritage bilinguals 171
  12. High sensitivity to conceptual cues in Turkish heritage speakers with dominant German L2 197
  13. The Frequency Code and gendered attrition and acquisition in the German-English heritage language community in Vancouver, Canada 229
  14. Does extensive L2 exposure trigger L1 attrition of perfective and durative aspect marking in Mandarin Chinese? 255
  15. Author Index 271
  16. Language Index 273
  17. Subject Index 275
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