V3 after central adverbials in German

Continuity or change?

Abstract

Circumstantial (‘central’) adverbials canonically occupy the topological prefield in German, causing inversion of subject and finite verb. V3 order, with such an adverbial preceding a full V2-clause, is normally excluded in German as a consequence of the (relatively) strict verb-second requirement in that language. However, such orders are attested both in historical as well as modern, particularly urban, varieties. Based on new corpus data and an acceptability study, the present paper will address the question of whether this is a case of diachronic continuity, or whether we are dealing with an innovation and a change in progress.