A parametric approach to dialect classification: microvariation in Southern Italy

In this paper we argue that the Parametric Comparison Method (PCM, Longobardi and Guardiano 2009), thanks to its capability of combining insights from formal grammar, historical- comparative linguistics, quantitative sociolinguistics (dialectometry), and computer-assisted techniques, can be successfully implemented as a powerful device to describe and explain microvariation between languages closely intertwined geographically, genealogically and sociolinguistically. In particular, we show that: (1) dialect syntax retains a significant diachronic signal in contexts of massive horizontal transmission; (2) dialect syntax retains a horizontal signal; (3) on the micro-comparative scale, the distribution of syntactic diversity significantly correlates with geographical factors.