Perfective Auxiliary Selection in heritage Italo-Romance

Abstract

This paper discusses two mechanisms of auxiliary selection (intransitive and person-driven splits) from heritage Italo-Romance varieties (Venetan, Abruzzese, and Apulo-Barese) in contact with Spanish, Portuguese, and English in the Americas. The data, obtained from 26 speakers through a completion task and integrated by spontaneous speech, present instances of auxiliary have that diverge from baseline/ homeland varieties. The article also presents some observations on phono-syntactic processes that may block or trigger change.