Dative Microvariation in African Varieties of Portuguese

In this paper we compare dative ditransitive structures in nativized and nativizing urban varieties of Portuguese spoken Angola, Mozambique, São Tomé Príncipe, using a corpus-based approach. It is shown that the expression Recipient exhibits considerable variation within across these varieties, as well at intraspeaker level. Despite use non-canonical patterns, namely prepositional with em para double object constructions, canonical European pattern Case marker predominant our data. Moreover, pronominalized counterparts different realizations show much less strong convergence toward clitic lhe(s). To account for data, propose Larsonian VP-shell which Recipients extended DPs occur internally to K(ase) projection whose functional head can be spelled out a, or para. on other hand, are treated plain may pronominalize clitics or, commonly, pronouns. Overall, hypothesis weakens role language contact, has often been assumed critical factor literature, but still allows (individual) grammars evidence being substrate-induced.