The ViGramm Project (Visualizing Grammars Across Space and Time) aims to model grammatical variation in Romance languages. By Romance languages, we refer to all linguistic varieties derived from Latin—not only official languages like French or Romanian but also, and especially, the lesser-known varieties (often called "dialects") that have not been standardized or shaped by normative grammar. Romance varieties provide a rich field for study: on the one hand, they exhibit innovative features absent from their common ancestor, Latin; on the other, these features vary from one dialect to another.
Our project will address the following research questions:
What are the relevant variables?
Are these variables correlated?
Do these correlations form a network of clusters? If so, what is the structure of this network?
Are these variables distributed in a regular pattern across geographical space?
Is the spatial distribution of these variables (or their clusters) correlated with extralinguistic factors, such as political boundaries, physical barriers, etc.?
To answer these questions, our research will:
Gather a large dataset from existing sources, such as linguistic atlases and databases.
Process this data using statistical methods and data visualization techniques to capture grammatical variation as a whole—rather than focusing on isolated dialects or specific phenomena.
Analyze the statistical data through the theoretical lens of generative grammar. Our research is based on the principle that all syntactic differences can ultimately be traced back to the properties of functional elements such as determiners, pronouns, auxiliaries, and more.
AIS/ALF Map Varieties that allow (black) / do not allow (red) the placement of object clitic pronouns before the modal verb (e.g., Italian LO posso mangiare vs. French je peux LE manger). Source: AIS/ALF.
The ViGramm project is led by Diego Pescarini, (UMR 7320 – BCL Laboratory, Université Côte d’Azur), a specialist in syntax and Italo-Romance dialectology, in collaboration with Anne Dagnac (UMR 5263 CLLE, Université Toulouse II Jean Jaurès), an expert in French and Picard syntax, and Stella Retali-Medori (UMR 6240 LISA, Université de Corse), a specialist in Corsican varieties.
