Language Variation and Change· 2026Q1
Stability and change in heritage grammar: Variable object expression across generations of Canberra Vietnamese
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- 2026year
Short summary
Object expression in Canberra Vietnamese remains stable across generations, unlike subject expression, with only a minor shift from kin terms to pronouns in second-person reference by Gen2 speakers.
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Key points
- Object expression in Canberra Vietnamese is systematically conditioned by coreferentiality and social network language across generations.
- Unlike subject expression, object expression shows no widespread generational restructuring.
- A minor shift occurs in second-person reference, with Gen2 speakers preferring pronouns over kin terms.
- This selective change highlights that grammatical restructuring in heritage languages targets specific variables.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Research on heritage languages predicts that contact-induced change is selective: Some variables shift while closely related ones remain intact. Fine-grained variationist evidence for this prediction, however, remains limited. We test it by analyzing object expression in Canberra Vietnamese, a community in which generational restructuring of subject expression is already documented. Contrary to the pattern found for subject expression, object expression remains systematically conditioned by Coreferentiality and social network language across generations, with only one localized generational effect: In second-person reference, Gen2 speakers shift from kin terms to pronouns. Read together, this pattern indicates that change targets particular variables rather than sweeping through the grammar. Examining multiple related variables within a single community is therefore necessary to capture the structured, uneven nature of change in heritage languages.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Language Variation and Change, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Linguistics and Language
Linguistics and LanguageSocial Sciences