Abstract
In early studies, code-switches between a subject pronoun and a finite verb were considered highly dispreferred or even impossible. However, naturalistic data from several language pairs has since highlighted that such switches are possible, although their grammaticality is constrained by the typology of the pronouns involved. In this study, we test the switching constraints postulated for subject pronouns-verbs among P’urhepecha-Spanish bilinguals (n = 12) from Michoacán, western Mexico. Using a two-alternative forced-choice acceptability judgement task (2AFC), we found that, contrary to expectations, switches between a third person singular pronoun and a verb were considered the most acceptable, followed by the coordinated ‘you and I’ second person, then the first person singular. The same order was found for both switch directions, despite third-person pronouns in P’urhepecha having a stronger typological profile. Building on the results of previous studies, we suggest that the lack of preference for a single switch direction is evidence for language-specific code-switching patterns, as well as possible differences in productive vs. receptive language. Additionally, we highlight the probative value of judgement data, particularly those emerging from 2AFC tasks, as a means of expanding our understanding of grammaticality in code-switching.
Highlights
Accepted: 14 January 2022Code-switching is a natural and commonly occurring phenomenon; it can be observed in the speech and writing of multilinguals who go back and forth between their languages in the same conversation or text (e.g., Deuchar (2012))
The main finding of the present study is that code-switches involving a 3SG pronoun and a finite verb were considered the most accepted for both switch directions, followed by coordinated 1PL, and 1SG
That 3SG is acceptable in both directions contrasts with MacSwan’s (1999) judgement findings for Spanish-Nahuatl, where the 3SG pronoun was only accepted when it occurred in Spanish
Summary
Accepted: 14 January 2022Code-switching is a natural and commonly occurring phenomenon; it can be observed in the speech and writing of multilinguals who go back and forth between their languages in the same conversation or text (e.g., Deuchar (2012)). Switches between a subject pronoun and a finite verb were dispreferred or even impossible (see Lipski (1978) on Spanish-English judgements; Timm (1975) on Mexican Spanish-US English production data from California; see Lipski (2019); van Gelderen and MacSwan (2008)). As has been the case for many proposed constraints, counter-evidence for a (near-)ban on subject pronoun-verb switches soon emerged (see Toribio (2017) for a critique of the prevailing claim and counter-claim culture in code-switching research). This evidence stems from several sources, including a spoken corpus of French-Moroccan Arabic in Morocco, compiled by Bentahila and Davies (1983), see (3a, 3b).
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