Tom Bossuyt

This project is concerned with “para-hypotactic” concessives, i.e., concessive constructions with a subordinator in the adverbial clause and a coordinator in the main clause (‘although p, but q’). So far, para-hypotactic concessives have been noted in individual languages (albeit without identifying them as such), but no comparative cross-linguistic study on this topic has ever been conducted. Such a study is necessary, however, for a better understanding of its origins and functional motivation. The project consists of two studies: (1) a mostly qualitative typological study based on a global variety sample of ca. 100 languages and (2) a quantitative corpus study based on text data from eight varieties of English spoken around the world. Both studies will investigate patterns and limits of structural variation in para-hypotactic concessives, e.g., which languages or dialects it occurs in and how often it does so. Then, functional motivations for said patterns and limits will be explored, e.g., possible communicative functions of para-hypotaxis such as marking clause boundaries or strengthening the concessive interpretation, as well as cognitive explanations for why concessives seem to be more susceptible to this phenomenon than other adverbial clause types. In both case studies, special attention will be given to the role of language contact, more specifically pattern replication, to explain the spread of para-hypotaxis in concessives.