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14 - The Nature and Development of the “Quacking Duck”

from Part III - The Development of Syntax

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2025

By
Astrid Gabel
Edited by
Dany Adone  and
Astrid Gabel
Dany Adone
Affiliation:
Universität zu Köln
Astrid Gabel
Affiliation:
Universität zu Köln
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Summary

Gabel’s chapter takes a look at Serial Verb Constructions (SVCs) in Kreol Seselwa (KS), a creole language spoken on the Seychelles. It argues that SVCs are part of KS grammar and that they can best be captured by a continuum approach since they show prototypical and non-prototypical semantic and syntactic properties. Furthermore, SVCs in KS have different distributions depending on spoken and written language as well as production and perception. Finally, she shows that SVCs in KS are subject to age variation thereby exhibiting a potential development in the syntax of KS.

Keywords

serial verb constructionsSeychelles Creolecontinua of SVCsprototypicalityvariation and development of SVCs
Type
Chapter
Information
The Evolution, Acquisition and Development of Syntax
Insights from Creole Languages and Beyond
 , pp. 255 - 277
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

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