Asymmetrical Complexity in Languages Due to L2 Effects: Unserdeutsch and Beyond
This study examines asymmetries between so-called inherent and contextual categories in relation to the morphological complexity of the nominal and verbal inflectional domain of languages. The observations are traced back to the influence of adult L2 learning in scenarios of intense language contact...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Languages |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/5/4/57 |
| _version_ | 1797548271992832000 |
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| author | Siegwalt Lindenfelser |
| author_facet | Siegwalt Lindenfelser |
| author_sort | Siegwalt Lindenfelser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examines asymmetries between so-called inherent and contextual categories in relation to the morphological complexity of the nominal and verbal inflectional domain of languages. The observations are traced back to the influence of adult L2 learning in scenarios of intense language contact. A method for a simple comparison of the amount of inherent versus contextual categories is proposed and applied to the German-based creole language Unserdeutsch (Rabaul Creole German) in comparison to its lexifier language. The same procedure will be applied to two further language pairs. The grammatical systems of Unserdeutsch and other contact languages display a noticeable asymmetry regarding their structural complexity. Analysing different kinds of evidence, the explanatory key factor seems to be the role of (adult) L2 acquisition in the history of a language, whereby languages with periods of widespread L2 acquisition tend to lose contextual features. This impression is reinforced by general tendencies in pidgin and creole languages. Beyond that, there seems to be a tendency for inherent categories to be more strongly associated with the verb, while contextual categories seem to be more strongly associated with the noun. This leads to an asymmetry in categorical complexity between the noun phrase and the verb phrase in languages that experienced periods of intense L2 learning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:56:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7a31431580ce4282b5cbcf3edf1ac954 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2226-471X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:56:56Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Languages |
| spelling | doaj.art-7a31431580ce4282b5cbcf3edf1ac9542023-11-20T20:30:49ZengMDPI AGLanguages2226-471X2020-11-01545710.3390/languages5040057Asymmetrical Complexity in Languages Due to L2 Effects: Unserdeutsch and BeyondSiegwalt Lindenfelser0Department of German Linguistics instead of Chair for German Linguistics, University of Bamberg, Hornthalstraße 2, 96045 Bamberg, GermanyThis study examines asymmetries between so-called inherent and contextual categories in relation to the morphological complexity of the nominal and verbal inflectional domain of languages. The observations are traced back to the influence of adult L2 learning in scenarios of intense language contact. A method for a simple comparison of the amount of inherent versus contextual categories is proposed and applied to the German-based creole language Unserdeutsch (Rabaul Creole German) in comparison to its lexifier language. The same procedure will be applied to two further language pairs. The grammatical systems of Unserdeutsch and other contact languages display a noticeable asymmetry regarding their structural complexity. Analysing different kinds of evidence, the explanatory key factor seems to be the role of (adult) L2 acquisition in the history of a language, whereby languages with periods of widespread L2 acquisition tend to lose contextual features. This impression is reinforced by general tendencies in pidgin and creole languages. Beyond that, there seems to be a tendency for inherent categories to be more strongly associated with the verb, while contextual categories seem to be more strongly associated with the noun. This leads to an asymmetry in categorical complexity between the noun phrase and the verb phrase in languages that experienced periods of intense L2 learning.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/5/4/57inflectionL2 effectsmorphological complexitysimplificationsecond language acquisitionUnserdeutsch |
| spellingShingle | Siegwalt Lindenfelser Asymmetrical Complexity in Languages Due to L2 Effects: Unserdeutsch and Beyond Languages inflection L2 effects morphological complexity simplification second language acquisition Unserdeutsch |
| title | Asymmetrical Complexity in Languages Due to L2 Effects: Unserdeutsch and Beyond |
| title_full | Asymmetrical Complexity in Languages Due to L2 Effects: Unserdeutsch and Beyond |
| title_fullStr | Asymmetrical Complexity in Languages Due to L2 Effects: Unserdeutsch and Beyond |
| title_full_unstemmed | Asymmetrical Complexity in Languages Due to L2 Effects: Unserdeutsch and Beyond |
| title_short | Asymmetrical Complexity in Languages Due to L2 Effects: Unserdeutsch and Beyond |
| title_sort | asymmetrical complexity in languages due to l2 effects unserdeutsch and beyond |
| topic | inflection L2 effects morphological complexity simplification second language acquisition Unserdeutsch |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/5/4/57 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT siegwaltlindenfelser asymmetricalcomplexityinlanguagesduetol2effectsunserdeutschandbeyond |