Variable number agreement in Afro-Mexican and Afro-Bolivian Spanish: restructuring, reduction, and vernacular universals

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates variable number agreement within the determiner phrase (DP) in two non-standardized Latin American Spanish varieties: Afro-Mexican Spanish (AMS) and Afro-Bolivian Spanish (ABS). Results show that both phonological and morphosyntactic factors shape agreement, although the varieties differ structurally. While AMS and ABS occupy distinct positions along a continuum of contact-induced grammatical restructuring, both display reduced agreement systems consistent with vernacular universals – recurring linguistic tendencies across non-standard varieties that reflect shared cognitive and social constraints. This perspective aligns with research on agreement impoverishment in the Spanish DP. Integrating a variationist approach with formal and functional theories of morphophonological reduction, the study advances understanding of agreement in underexplored Spanish varieties. Findings further indicate that grammatical simplification in AMS and ABS extends beyond the DP, mirroring broader patterns of structural reduction characteristic of vernacular speech worldwide.