phrase structures competition variation change old eng pintzuk susan phrase structures competition variation change old english word order 08153 3269 6 cloth pages 285 63 garland publishing outstanding dissertations linguistics book investigates variation change old english word order special emphasis position verb argued variation surface word order primarily reflex synchronic variation underlying structure headinitial vs headfinal particular variation position verb best explained analysis competing headinitial headfinal structure within vp ip obligatory movement finite verb together processes postposition cliticization verb movement c restricted set exceptional clause types derives attested word order patterns old english verbsecond phenomenon old english seen involve verb movement clausemedial main subordinate clauses yiddish icelandic rather verb movement c main clauses german dutch structural analysis proposed basis standard distributional tests used formal syntactic theory structural analysis supported quantitative evidence using methodology adapted sociolinguistic approaches language variation change demonstrated frequency initial structure increases old english period rate main subordinate clauses supporting hypothesis identical structures processes two clause types book interest scholars areas old english syntax germanic syntax syntactic variation change e mail info garland com