"This volume explores how the patterning of surface variation can shed light on the grammatical representation of variable phenomena. The authors explore variation in several domains, addressing intra- and inter-dialectal patterns, using diverse sources of data including corpora of naturally-occurring speech and judgment studies, and drawing on lesser-studied varieties of familiar languages, such as Northwest British Englishes and varieties of Canadian French. Ultimately, the contributions serve to expand our understanding of the nature of the mental representations and abstract processes required to support variation in language"--.

• The Locus of Linguistic Variation
• Editorial page
• Title page
• LCC data
• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Locating variation in the dative alternation
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Scope and methodology
  • 3. Variation in the dative alternation
    • 3.1 Background: The dative alternation in Northwest varieties
    • 3.2 Variation in Theme passives and TGDs in Liverpool English
  • 4. Preposition-drop
    • 4.1 The syntax of preposition-drop
    • 4.2 The syntax of κ: κ Case licenses Goals
    • 4.3 The structure of κ
    • 4.4 Consequences of the analysis
  • 5. The systematic nature of regional variation: Evidence from Manchester English
  • 6. Summary: The locus of variation
  • 7. Summary
  • References
• An extension of the comparative sociolinguistics approach for sociosyntax
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Theoretical frameworks
    • 2.1 Formal theories and comparative sociolinguistics
    • 2.2 The comparative-constraint approach to grammatical variation
  • 3. French in Canada: Acadian and Laurentian varieties
    • 3.1 The Baie Sainte-Marie community
  • 4. Yes/No questions
    • 4.1 The envelope of variation for French yes/no questions
    • 4.2 Negation and yes/no questions in French
    • 4.3 Potential conditioning factors
      • 4.3.1 Grammatical person
      • 4.3.2 Syllable length
      • 4.3.3 Sentential polarity
    • 4.4 Results
      • 4.4.1 Overall distribution
      • 4.4.2 Second person data: Quantitative results
      • 4.4.3 First and third person data: Quantitative results
    • 4.5 Formal analysis of polarity and yes/no questions in Canadian varieties of French
  • 5. The expression of future temporal reference in French
    • 5.1 Previous studies of the future in French
    • 5.2 The variable context
    • 5.3 Potential conditioning factors
      • 5.3.1 Temporal distance
      • 5.3.2 Certainty/imminence
      • 5.3.3 Adverbial specification
      • 5.3.4 Sentential polarity
    • 5.4 Quantitative results
    • 5.5 Formal analysis of polarity and the future temporal reference variable in Canadian varieties of French
  • 6. Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• Variant-Centered Variation and the Like Conspiracy
  • 1. Variables and variants in variationist theory
  • 2. The many functions of like
  • 3. Change beyond the envelope of variation
  • 4. Like as a change in discursive practice
  • 5. Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• Constant effects and the independence of variants in controlled judgment data
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Object weight effects on word order in particle verb constructions
  • 3. Shape conservation effects in Norwegian
  • 4. Conclusion
  • References
• Variation as a Testing Ground for Grammatical Theory
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Obligatory Asymmetric Concord in Bidirectional OT
    • 2.1 Bidirectional OT as a Theory of the Syntax-Semantics Interface
    • 2.2 Categorical Asymmetric Concord in Bidirectional OT (de Swart, 2010)
  • 3. Optional Asymmetric Concord in StOT
    • 3.1 Modelling Grammatical Variation
    • 3.2 Summary
  • 4. Variable Negative Concord in Montréal 84
    • 4.1 Results
  • 5. A New Probabilistic Analysis of Montréal French
    • 5.1 Structural Neg First
    • 5.2 Structural Neg First and the GLA
  • 6. Conclusion
  • References
• The dynamics of variation in individuals
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Three types of conditioning factors
    • 2.1 S-Conditioning
    • 2.2 I-Conditioning
    • 2.3 P-Conditioning
    • 2.4 On the division of conditioning factors
  • 3. Point 1: Quantitative patterns in variable sequences
    • 3.1 P-conditioning as a source of individual dynamics
      • 3.1.1 Planning
      • 3.1.2 Priming
      • 3.1.3 Imitation
    • 3.2 Degree of dynamism and microcovariation
    • 3.3 Summary
  • 4. Point 2: Pand i-conditioning are architecturally distinct
    • 4.1 Asymmetrical conditioning of alternations
    • 4.2 Universality and arbitrariness in the p- and i- domains
    • 4.3 Grammar and use
  • 5. Conclusion
  • References
• Index of Languages and Varieties
• Subject index