The central question of my research is: Which syntactic properties do all languages have in common, which properties are variable and which associations are there between these syntactic variables? The goal of this research is to contribute to a theory of natural language that explains the range and limits of syntactic variation.

More information about Sjef Barbiers

Research

I compare the (morpho-)syntax of Dutch with closely related (dialectal) varieties of Dutch, against the background of what is known about the syntax of natural languages more generally. I combine theoretical, dialectological and sociolinguistic methods. The central hypothesis is that syntactic variation arises from the interaction between a small fixed set of syntactic principles with grammar internal modules such as the mental lexicon, phonological form, logical form and pragmatics on the one hand, and with grammar external cognitive and sociolinguistic factors on the other. More specifically I investigate the relation between the geographic distribution of (morpho-)syntactic variables and syntax as a mental system. I work with the large systematically collected dialect data sets and search and cartographic tools that are online available in DynaSAND, MIMORE and Edisyn. I am particularly interested in the (morpho-)syntax of verbs, auxiliaries and verb clusters, imperatives, focus particles, adverbs, scrambling, numerals,extraposition and syntactic doubling phenomena.  

Curriculum vitae

PhD Supervision

Current PhD projects

• Caitlin Meyer (UvA) - Acquisition of numerals and ordinals
• Lotte Hendriks (MI/UL) - Inclusion relations: Verb clusters and verb cluster interruption

Finished PhD projects (promotor and co-promotor)

• Eefje Boef
• Jeroen van Craenenbroeck
• Arantzazu Elordieta
• Bettina Gruber
• Mirjam Hachem
• Marko Hladnik
• Irene Haslinger
• Aniek IJbema
• Marjo van Koppen
• Marco René Spruit
• Mark de Vos

Grants and awards

Publications

Activities