Research Interests

• Evolutionary models of language change
• Language variation and change
• Syntax (Nominal Determination)
• Construction Grammar
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Grammaticalization
• First language acquisition
• Psycholinguistics/ neurolinguistics /anthropological linguistics
• Evolution of language
• Speech Impairment

Teaching

• VK 102 Language Analysis
• 101 VO - Language Analysis
• PS 1 - Linguistics Proseminar
• PS 2 - Mechanisms of Language Change
• AG - Debating Linguistic Controversies

Publications and Presentations

• Sommerer, Lotte. (2005). Learnability of Syntax - An Evolutionary Approach. Unpublished MA thesis. University of Vienna.
• Sommerer, Lotte. (2006). 'Language Acquisition revisited - a network based approach to two-word stage syntax'. VIEWS, 15 (1) [Vienna English Working Papers].
• Sommerer, Lotte. (2008). 'Noun phrase typology and the emergence of the definite article: analogy, accomodation and frequency effects'. VIEWS, 17 (1) [Vienna English Working Papers].
• Sommerer, Lotte. (2011). Old English se: from demonstrative to article. A usage-based study of nominal determination and category emergence. Unpublished PhD thesis. University of Vienna. available at:

http://othes.univie.ac.at/14573/

• Sommerer, Lotte. (in print). 'Analogical Transfer in Old English Syntax. Article emergence caused by pattern recognition and transfer'. In Schendl, Markus, Coelsch-Foisner (eds.). Transfer in English Studies. [Volume 100 of the Austrian Studies in English]. Vienna: Braumüller.
• Sommerer, Lotte. (submitted). 'The influence of constructions in grammaticalization: revisiting category emergence and the development of the definite article in English'. In Barddal et al. (eds.). Diachronic Construction Grammar. [CAL]. Benjamins.
• Sommerer, Lotte. (submitted). 'Investigating article development in Old English: about categorization, gradualness and the fuzziness of grammar'. In Van der Wurff, W. (ed.) NPs in English: Past and Present. Amsterdam: John Benjamin
• Sommerer, Lotte. (submitted). ‘Revisiting the Poss Dem construction in Old English’. Folia Linguistica Historica, 33.

• 2005, 29 - 30 Oktober, Graz, Österreich: ÖLT (Österreichische Linguistentagung). Paper: 'Grammatikalisierung aus historisch-konnektionistischer Perspektive: Demonstrativa im frühen English' with Prof. Dr. Ritt, N.
• 2006, 17 - 21 Juli, Paris, Frankreich: LCM 2 (Language Culture and Mind 2). Paper: 'Languages as Darwinian cultural systems: optimality, evolutionary stability, and human interest' with Prof. Dr. Ritt, N.
• 2006, 21 - 25 August, Bergamo, Italien: ICEHL 14 (International Conference on English Historical Linguistics). Paper: 'The emergence of the as a definite article in Late Old English: an evolutionary connectionist perspective'.
• 2008, 4 - 5 April, Sheffield, England: Workshop on the History and Structure in the English Noun Phrase, Philological Society of English. Paper: '...towards the emergence of the definite artice: Old English Noun phrase typology and mulit-level frequency effects'.
• 2008, 15 - 19 Juli, Leuven, Belgien: NRG4 (New Reflections on Grammaticalization 4). Paper: 'Getting going on a path: Old English noun phrase typology and the emergence of the definite articel the'.
• 2008, 25 - 29 August, München, Deutschland: ICEHL 15. Paper: 'Old English noun phrase typology and the emergence of the definite article: a quantitative study based on the the Peterborough and Parker Chronicles'.
• 2009, 2 - 3 Oktober, Vigo, Spanien: NP1 (International Workshop on the Structure of the Noun Phrase in English: Synchronic and Diachronic Explorations). Paper: 'DP in Old English? Category emergence, noun phrase typology and multi-level frequency effects'.
• 2010, 23 - 27 August, Pecs, Hungary: ICEHL 16. Paper: ' investigating bare common nouns in definite contexts in Old English'.
• 2011, 15-16 April, Salzburg, Österreich: AAUTE (Austrian Association for University Teacher of English). Paper: ' Analogical Transfer in Old English Syntax: Article Emergence caused by Formal Pattern Recognition and Transfer'
• 2011, 8-11 September, Logrono, Spanien: SLE 17 (Societa Linguistica Europaea). Paper: 'The influence of constructions in grammaticalization: revisiting category emergence and the development of the definite article in English'.
• 2011, 15-16 September, Newcastle, UK: NP2 (International Workshop on the Structure of the Noun Phrase in English: Synchronic and Diachronic Explorations). Paper: 'Why investigating article development can become a linguist’s nightmare: about categorization, gradualness and the fuzziness of grammar'.

CV

• Lotte Sommerer studied English at the University of Vienna. In 2003/04, she was awarded a Joint Study Scholarship and spent a year at the University of Toronto, Canada. Since February 2006 Lotte Sommerer has been working as a junior lecturer ("Assistent in Ausbildung") in the field of historical linguistics.