LEL2D — Cross-linguistic variation – limits and theories

I am the main course organiser for LEL2D in Semester 2 of 2025-26 (co-taught with András Bárány and Amalia Skilton)

This course focuses on variation in grammatical systems in the world’s languages and on the limits of that variation. In particular, we will be looking at universals and variation in morphosyntax and phonology, the importance of variation and universals to linguistic analysis and theory, and the ways in which linguistic theory addresses variation and universals.

The course also equips students with knowledge and skills related to the description and theoretical analysis of specific phenomena in a diverse range of languages, including word order, syntactic relations, phonological alternations, and language development.