Full Description
This book presents the latest research on the syntax of the "Insular Scandinavian" languages (Faroese and Icelandic), with contributions from thirteen experts, and a significant introductory chapter by the four editors. The topics covered include some that have figured extensively in recent literature on Scandinavian syntax and its implications for syntactic theory: case, agreement, embedded clause word order, stylistic fronting, and the nature of "expletive" constructions. The volume is conceived around the topic of variation, both within and between the two languages studied—as well as more generally—and stands out for the wealth of new empirical detail from both Faroese and Icelandic, relating to each of the topics and theoretical issues discussed. Each chapter is written in a way to make it accessible to a wide audience within linguistics; the book will be essential reading for students and researchers with an interest in the syntax of the Germanic languages.
Contents
1. Introduction (by Thrainsson, Hoskuldur); 2. On quantity and quality in syntactic variation studies (by Thrainsson, Hoskuldur); 3. Variation in oblique subject constructions in Insular Scandinavian (by Eythorsson, Thorhallur); 4. Determining the nature of intra-speaker subject case variation (by Nowenstein, Iris Edda); 5. Variation in dative in Faroese (by Petersen, Hjalmar P.); 6. Avoiding Genitive in Icelandic (by Jonsson, Johannes Gisli); 7. Dimensions of Variation: Agreement with Nominative Objects in Icelandic (by Ussery, Cherlon); 8. Inverse attraction in Icelandic relative clauses (by Wood, Jim); 9. Variation in copular agreement in Insular Scandinavian (by Hartmann, Jutta); 10. Stylistic fronting and related constructions in the Insular Scandinavian Languages (by Angantysson, Asgrimur); 11. Stylistic fronting in corpora (by Sigurdsson, Einar Freyr)
