Patterns of agreement within the Noun Phrase

Abstract

We focuse on plural agreement within the Noun Phrase in urban varieties of Portuguese, in the light of Theory of Variation and Change assumptions (Weinreich, Labov, Herzog, 1968) and based on the speech of individuals with fundamental, medium and superior education level, distributed, yet, for three age groups and sex. We suggest that nominal agreement is a categorical rule in European Portuguese and a variable rule in Brazilian Portuguese and in São Tomé Portuguese, although these two varieties tend to adopt the canonical plural marking. The variable rule implementation is strongly determined by the linear and relative position of the constituent within the Noun Phrase and dependent on the action of external factors, among which education level, that seems congregate different aspects that characterize individuals from social point of view.