Defining Non-Canonicity

When there are two or more syntactic alternatives, why is one chosen over the other? This article proposes a new framework exploring this question, the MACROMICRO- FRAMEWORK OF (NON-)CANONICAL SYNTAX. It conceptualizes decision-making in syntactic variation as a complex circular process that encompasses Macro-Factors, Micro-Factors, the selection of a canonical or non-canonical syntactic variant, and short- and long-term effects (priming and frequency effects). Macro- and Micro- Factors in the framework include, among others, information structure, pragmatic factors, register, style, and syntactic factors. The applicability of the framework to a specific data set will be illustrated by an analysis of minus-determiners (e.g., It's ∅ good book) in American English. This sample application shows that factors of the immediate interactional and sequential context make this clearly non-canonical construction the most felicitous option in a specific communicative situation, which in turn could affect judgements as to the construction's perceived (non-)canonicity.