Confronting fact and theory in the discovery of Brazilian Portuguese grammar

Abstract

This paper shows interesting questions and results that one can obtain when we combine the variationist methodology with the generative theories in the analysis of data. We believe that, while the Principles and Parameters theory could provide us with predictions as to what kinds of correlation to find in real data, a well conducted empirical analysis could reveal new facts unaccounted for and correlated phenomena. Methodologically, formal grammars help the researcher to constrain the universe of formal factors to be considered and to formulate more explicit questions. The variationist methodology, in its turn, allows us to use not only syntactic variables, but also constraints of other modules of the language faculty. It can also distinguish results due to either innate principles or environmentally conditioned factors. This paper presents some of the interesting findings on Brazilian Portuguese regarding the Null Subject Parameter (NSP), a topic that has been dealt with from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives.