The superlative alternation in present-day English: Questionnaire datadoi:10.18710/NL8UQCDataverseNO2021-01-071Beland, Nikolai, 2021, "The superlative alternation in present-day English: Questionnaire data", https://doi.org/10.18710/NL8UQC, DataverseNO, V1, UNF:6:RKi85c6Q4ObGsRs1yg7J/g== [fileUNF]The superlative alternation in present-day English: Questionnaire datadoi:10.18710/NL8UQCBeland, NikolaiUniversity of BambergBamberg, GermanyLimeSurveyR: A language and environment for statistical computingDataverseNOThe Tromsø Repository of Language and Linguistics (TROLLing)Beland, NikolaiBeland, Nikolai2020-12-30Arts and HumanitiesEnglishsuperlativecomparativegrammatical variationquestionnaire studyThis dataset contains elicitation data collected through a questionnaire on superlative strategy choice in English (X-est vs. most X). Native speakers (n = 675) were asked to indicate their preferred superlative variants of the adjectives used in n = 120 systematically manipulated prompt sentences. The data enable us to quantify the effects of seven contextual constraints and four speaker variables on the superlative alternation.[publication abstract, “The superlative alternation in British and American English: Questionnaire-based insights."]
Drawing on data gleaned from a large-scale questionnaire study, this paper investigates the role of contextual constraints in the alternation of synthetic (-est) and analytic (most) superlative forms. The multifactorial analysis suggests that variables that have been interpreted along the lines of processing complexity in previous studies increase the odds of the analytic superlative, albeit to varying degrees. These findings substantiate the hypothesis that the cognitive support strategy of more-support, as identified by Mondorf (2009b) for the comparative, also extends to the superlative. Despite this empirical support, my analysis exposes the limitations of a complexity-based account of variation in gradation strategy choice. It is further observed that speakers of the two main reference varieties British English and American English do not systematically differ in their sensitivity to the cognitive mechanisms that underlie this alternation. This observation adds to the body of evidence that suggests a high degree of cross-varietal homogeneity in morphosyntactic alternations. From a methodological perspective, it is argued that elicitation studies of this kind constitute a valuable complement to the extant corpus studies conducted on this alternation in that they allow for the operationalisation of linguistic and extralinguistic variables in a controlled setting.2018-09-152018-10-30United StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAustraliaSouth AfricaIrelandNew Zealandquestionnaire dataRelated material, also used in the two cited publications, is available at https://osf.io/dfphs/. This includes additional datasets generated in the analyses (folder 'Data'), figures used in the publications (folder 'Figures'), the syntax of the models used in the analyses (folder 'Models'), and the R scripts for running the analyses (folder 'R scripts').
This material is not (yet) openly accessible on the OSF. Please request permission to get access to the folders.Beland, N. (2022). The superlative alternation in British and American English: Questionnaire-based insights. In M. Krug, V. Werner, O. Schützler, & F. Vetter (Eds.), Perspectives on Contemporary English: Structure, Variation, Cognition (pp. 59–90). Peter Lang Verlag. https://doi.org/10.3726/b1973910.3726/b19739Beland, N. (2022). The superlative alternation in British and American English: Questionnaire-based insights. In M. Krug, V. Werner, O. Schützler, & F. Vetter (Eds.), Perspectives on Contemporary English: Structure, Variation, Cognition (pp. 59–90). Peter Lang Verlag. https://doi.org/10.3726/b19739Beland, Nikolai. In preparation. The superlative alternation in present-day English. PhD thesis. University of Bamberg.Beland, Nikolai. In preparation. The superlative alternation in present-day English. PhD thesis. University of Bamberg.superlatives_questionnaire_data.tab2003929text/tab-separated-valuesUNF:6:RKi85c6Q4ObGsRs1yg7J/g==X.10020.00.01.020039.020039.010020.05784.905357912089UNF:6:APYS/sy/3kZv3uCHWgfWRA==itemUNF:6:VxXUYeDs1CvWvlaFFxIF7g==id_factorUNF:6:gc7ZUevSiTiDXxyfc8Hrfw==idUNF:6:gc7ZUevSiTiDXxyfc8Hrfw==age48.22486215538843648.018.81624014504888417.0.89.019950.089.0UNF:6:1kVINRGg72Oc/tB0vKrD1g==genderUNF:6:t3reWqVpvtWkkEbRd+98VQ==nationalityUNF:6:TQCNLpMuritTxET5TVff6g==varietyUNF:6:O87xplOMoBQyx8QcnSYWiA==years_outside.11.84767714994128915326.04713.050.04807605646238560.01.00.0UNF:6:Yfqnn8HsCRp+hk69NxSl7A==city_townUNF:6:8TlKPu4V7BYdpUxAfkARjw==education_highestUNF:6:Ycaw+FyKZ70Hc9S/Jzo1Tg==sourceUNF:6:fZjkzLEUq/RheCrO1EOGtA==responseUNF:6:ICaxhyvbCEKA4fnifraHQA==response_originalUNF:6:kwrBkoxoL/B9AsF0wZWu4Q==response_numerical19694.00.3930638773230440.472323028332876871.00.0.0.0345.0UNF:6:kXkwbZwfqKPJxlGQKbQqCg==codeUNF:6:VxXUYeDs1CvWvlaFFxIF7g==predictorUNF:6:hgGoCb4UVfGXz846IvMFHw==wordingUNF:6:gD39so/zikZIBC2VdfX+Eg==adjUNF:6:dLfhtEdCHCuM8crjfr5PNg==n_syll0.396033578005400071.0.2.020039.02.01.80522980188632440.0UNF:6:6M9KaJMKnssZ+Uh1ZHw4Yw==stress_initial_finalUNF:6:vo0mXmrnvSNYdqSdRMDayg==final_segUNF:6:1U15iXGwENS3TnSPQlpLwg==horror_synUNF:6:UVNxHCRpwVJJhEE+Lu7kIA==positionUNF:6:PxRyNiU0pCOk5hohSioyig==complementationUNF:6:h3YMRTrbj8wFduPrRF1x0Q==compl_infUNF:6:ZIGOZi2j0YX+jaWZd6F8qw==compl_noUNF:6:uuaOFdYGo3T/Fa4r25iBqA==end_weightUNF:6:3/Ganb5hrj4RrmAGQPISrQ==persistenceUNF:6:LlhDIUU+8kdj8BFMR4tNyA==00_ReadMe_TheSuperlativeAlternationInPresent-dayEnglishQuestionnaireData.txttext/plainwritten_questionnaire_V2.1.pdfapplication/pdf