Variation in Nominal Ergative Marking and Its Social Meaning: A Linguistic and Ideological Comparative Study between the US Basque Diaspora and the Basque Country

This dissertation investigates ergative case variation in Basque within two bilingual communities: Getxo (Basque-Spanish) and Boise (Basque-English diaspora). Ergative nominal marking (-k) is an ideologically charged grammatical feature, indexing linguistic legitimacy. Extending analysis to non-canonical speakers, this study integrates a qualitative, ideologically focused approach, exploring how linguistic, social, and ideological variables shape ergative use among early L2 and heritage speakers.

Framed by the new speaker paradigm, the dissertation challenges essentialist nativeness, arguing early L2 and heritage speakers are central to contemporary Basque, despite ideological delegitimization.

Using a mixed-methods design, it quantitatively analyzes ergative marking via structured tasks and spontaneous speech, and qualitatively examines underlying language ideologies.

The dissertation makes two key contributions. First, nativeness is fluid; acquisition type, self-perceived nativeness, and speaker identity influence linguistic performance and ideological positioning. Ergative variation reflects how bilinguals navigate competing ergative-absolutive and nominative-accusative case systems, beyond acquisition or attrition, and how social and ideological factors (i.e., socialization, authenticity) influence the variation.

Second, Mother-Tongue and Standard Language Ideologies mediate beliefs about ergativity. In Getxo, -k signifies correctness/authenticity, enforced by schooling/peer surveillance. In Boise, ideologies are weaker. Using Irvine and Gal’s (2000) semiotic model, ergative marking is iconized as a symbol of legitimacy, fractally mapped, and used to erase proficient but non-conforming speakers. This is pronounced in Getxo, limited in Boise. In sum, ergative marking is not only structured by linguistic constraints but is instrumentalized by ideological regimes of authenticity/belonging in the community, determining who is native/proficient and shaping speaker legitimacy in revitalized/diasporic contexts.