Historical Phonology, Historical Syntax, Causality, Theories of Change
My PhD has two distinct sections firstly, a meta-theoretic analysis of linguistic change with a focus on the syntax-phonology interface. Or in English, my PhD evaluates how different linguistic theories deal with the ways in which syntax and phonology interact at points of change. This is exemplified through a discussion of grammaticalisation and phonetic erosion, terms which arose in philological work and were popularised in functionalist theory before being adopted by generativists with a largely different meaning. I argue that phonetic erosion does not refer to anything in phonology and is entirely defined by its alleged causal role in syntactic change, despite that role not being clear. Phonetic erosion is said to both cause and be caused by grammaticalisation. I argue that there is no overarching causal link in either direction between the categories of change that the terms ‘erosion’ and ‘grammaticalisation’ are supposed to represent, rather if cause can ever be determined this would only ever be possible on the scale of individual sequential phonological and syntactic changes – I exemplify this with a case study on the development of the Romance determiners which is traditionally cited as an example of phonetic erosion causing grammaticalisation.
The second part of my project addresses the problem that alough pathways of change cannot be marked in the I-language patterns of change seem to emerge in typological comparison of historic languages. I propose that language on a historic scale (H-language) is an emergent (or epiphenomenal) product of the interaction of substrate I-languages mediated by E-language. I argue that much like the patterns that emerge in a murmaration of starlings, the patterns that emerge in H-language are constrained by the nature of I- and E-langauge but not reducible to any one property of I- or E-language. In other words, patterns of change are real but only at the macroscopic level, they cannot exist in individuals.
Logical Phonology (and the Scottish Vowel Length Rule)
The Scottish Vowel Length Rule (SVLR) is famously problematic, despite much work in historical dialectology and phonetics, a satisfying analysis has yet to be provided of SVLR alternations in synchronic phonology. I address this using the set theoretic premises of Logical Phonology expanding the existing architecture to account for length, particularly for lengthening in variably open or closed syllables.
Working on the SVLR highlighted the need for a model of syllables within Logical Phonology. In attempting to develop a model of open syllables that does not rely on exhaustive representation in tree diagrams or on referring to the absence of a coda I explored alegbraic lattices as a model of syllable structure as well as the notion of including syllabification in the environment of rules that require it. This work is ongoing but preliminary findings were presented at the 2026 Workshop on Logical Phonology and can be viewed here.
The Parametric Comparison Method and Latin
The Parametric Comparison Method (PCM) is a formal syntactic approach to linguistic reconstruction and historical linguistics, by using syntactic parameters as comparanda it is possible to reconstruct a more precise picture of language histories and thus, more closely track developments in the history of a langauge family. My work, as part of the PARTICO project, has been to set the parameters of PCM on Latin and subsequently analyse the development of Latin nominal syntax from Old Latin to Late Latin (and beyond!). One key finding of my study has been that it is indeed possible to use the PCM to analyse ancient languages as it is entirely possible set all 94 parameters on textual data alone - this opens up a number of avenues for future study including the potential for linguistic reconstruction at greater time depths than previously thought possible.
The findings of my initial study of Classical and Late Latin can be viewed in my MRes thesis. I have a more extensive study of Old to Late Latin parametric development is in preparation with Cristina Guardiano.