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Ignoring Language Barriers: Romanian-Serbian Code-Switching

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Ignoring Language Barriers: Romanian-Serbian Code-Switching University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Doctoral Dissertations University of Connecticut Graduate School 5-1-2020 Ignoring Language Barriers: Romanian-Serbian Code-Switching Vanessa Petroj University of Connecticut - Storrs, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Petroj, Vanessa, "Ignoring Language Barriers: Romanian-Serbian Code-Switching" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations. 2473. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations/2473 Ignoring Language Barriers: Romanian-Serbian Code-Switching Vanessa Petroj, PhD University of Connecticut, 2020 This dissertation focuses on the syntactic aspects of Romanian-Serbian code-switching (CS). It explores a number of issues concerning several domains and theoretical mechanisms, especially the structure of the nominal domain, the structure and derivation of coordinated structures, cliticization (both second-position and verbal clitics), the nature of affixal articles, phases, and the mechanisms of Agree and case-licensing. In addressing these questions, a fundamental assumption is Bošković’s (2008, 2012) dichotomy which divides languages into NP (languages without articles) and DP (languages with articles). This distinction is especially relevant here, as the languages involved differ in this respect – Romanian having, and Serbian lacking articles. Chapter 2 focuses on the TNP-internal CS, examining the interaction between Romanian definite articles, Serbian nouns, and Serbian adjectives. By examining the requirements of these elements, I propose a new mechanism for article cliticization involving Agree and Affix Hopping that can account for both Romanian and CS constructions. Chapter 3 tackles the interaction between the nominal and the verbal domain through Left- Branch Extraction (LBE). Since the same nominal allows or disallows LBE in CS depending on Vanessa Petroj — University of Connecticut, 2020 its position, LBE is used to determine the points of CS, where CS within a phasal domain only affects that particular phasal domain, and not the entire structure. Chapter 4 investigates coordinated TNPs in CS, further examining the behavior of NP vs. DP elements and showing that NP elements are more flexible than DP elements in terms of the switches they allow. Chapter 5 focuses on clitics in CS, Romanian having verbal and Serbian second-position clitics. I show that word-internal CS is allowed as long as the elements involved do not form a morphosyntactic head (X0). Chapter 6 looks at case assignment in CS. Romanian Case-assigners are shown to behave differently than Serbian Case-assigners in CS, with Serbian verbs behaving differently in CS than they do in Serbian. Overall, while the findings illustrate relevant CS aspects, they highlight the functionality of analyzing elements outside of their input grammar, creating derivations that can exceptionally be found only in CS. Ignoring Language Barriers: Romanian-Serbian Code-Switching Vanessa Petroj B.A., University of Novi Sad, 2011 M.A., University of Connecticut, 2015 A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut 2020 Copyright by Vanessa Petroj 2020 APPROVAL PAGE Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Ignoring Language Barriers: Romanian Serbian Code-Switching Presented by Vanessa Petroj, B.A., M.A. Major Co-Advisor: __________________________________________________________ Željko Bošković Major Co-Advisor: __________________________________________________________ Diane Lillo-Martin Associate Advisor: __________________________________________________________ Ian Roberts University of Connecticut 2020 ii acknowledgments Born in a Romanian village in Serbia, growing up bilingual was a common occurrence in my community. I have been intrigued by code-switching ever since I realize I could do it. Apart from being encouraged to use and nurture both of my languages, reflecting on the many conversations with my peers that were enriched by our being playful with our ability to code- switch, I am constantly in awe of the privilege of being bilingual, having two native languages, and belong to two cultures. Besides recognizing the favorable circumstances of having been born in Uzdin, Serbia, a community that values and appreciates biculturalism and bilingualism, the amount of support system I have had around me on my journey to the completion of my PhD is beyond remarkable. Through this support system, I am not only able to put my hometown, Uzdin, on the linguistic map of the world, but I also continue to appreciate and be reminded of the value of my own mother tongues, especially when the two intertwined to give birth to an authentic and unique blend that is always going to remind me of home. First and foremost, a debt that I can never repay is the confidence, support, and consistency I have received from my advisors. It is no secret to anyone who has been advised by Dr. Željko Bošković that he has unwavering support, endless motivation, that he will fight for his students to become the best versions of themselves, and that he will not stop until they reach their potential. I remember feeling unsure about suggesting code-switching as a dissertation topic to Dr. Bošković, only to be met with excitement on his part, which led to commitment I am yet to experience again from anyone else. I had the privilege to have Dr. Bošković as one of my major advisors and he has selflessly mentored me through concrete linguistic puzzles, but also through incredible perspectives of approaching any obstacle in life — ranging from navigating professional relationships to dealing with things that life brings to us. Dr. Bošković has been my academic, cultural, and mental health ambassador throughout my graduate career, and I am still reaping the benefits of having had that opportunity. Through his mentoring, I have also learned how to be a mentor myself and how to motivate students when they need it most. I am convinced that the pressure of graduate school and the emotional struggles of my personal life would have taken their toll and that, without his support, commitment, and belief in me, I would not have completed this project. I am also grateful to Dr. Diane Lillo-Martin whom I have always admired and felt so privileged to be able to have her as my mentor. Regardless of how I felt before our meetings, after spending time and talking to Dr. Lillo-Martin, I always came out of her office feeling a lot better. I will always cherish the conversations we had about bilingualism and the excitement when we discovered something new. Although I have always been intimidated by Dr. Diane Lillo-Martin’s accomplishments, learning from her, working with her, and being around her has only made me admire her even more. To Dr. Ian Roberts, who always made himself available to me despite the geographical distance, I am also forever indebted. I remember giving him my final draft before his trip back to the UK and feeling really bad for doing things so last- minute (a feeling known to all graduate students), only to be greeted by his smile, saying that he was looking forward to have something to fun do on his flight. I have heard many horror stories about advisors and the lack of support from graduate students across the country, and, the more I spend working with students, the more a realize what an incredible team I have had on my side, and, quite honestly, that they have spoiled me rotten. I have also had the unique opportunity to be mentored and shaped into a writing center professional by Dr. Tom Deans, who, although not on my committee, has also selflessly taught me, supported me, and helped me nourish my iii administrative and mentoring skills. My mentors have raised the standards for mentorship, and human beings in general, that cannot be matched. From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank you enough. The rest of the professionals at UConn have always made themselves approachable for any questions related to teaching, research, or simply being a graduate student in the US. I have always felt like a valued member of UConn Linguistics, and this is because I truly felt like everyone was there to make me feel at home. Despite their busy and, sometimes, stressful, lives, I have always been greeted with a smile and I never felt like my questions were a burden. In fact, every member of the UConn faculty and staff always had their door open to all students, and I cannot express how much that meant to me. Dr. William Snyder has opened my mind to questions about language acquisition I had not even thought could exist. I enjoyed all of his classes because he is an endless encyclopedia of knowledge. Dr. Susi Wurmbrand’s expertise and love for linguistics was evident in my first class with her. Her way of teaching and her enthusiasm would keep me focused and made me hungry for more. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Wurmbrand has always been a joy seeing and talking to. I will never forget Dr. Jonathan Bobaljik’s enthusiasm for research and teaching, but I will especially never forget the way he has always carried himself with grace and kindness. I am not worthy of Dr. Eva Barshalom’s kindness and support who was always available to me for linguistic questions, but also for discussions about how much we miss our home, culture, and native languages. Dr. Andrea Calabrese has taught me so much about the phonology of Romance languages! My favorite thing about Dr. Calabrese is his kindness, willingness to help, and how he was always in a good mood. I will always tell stories about the way him and his family welcomed all of us to his home for Open House and offering us exquisite homemade Italian cuisine. Fact: the UConn Linguistics Open House is yet to be outdone by any other department, and this is in major part because of the generosity of Dr.
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