Task Type and Distributional Differences in the Spanish Differential Object Marking of Catalan–Spanish Bilinguals

This study examines offline acceptance and online processing of Differential Object Marking (DOM) in the Spanish of Catalan–Spanish bilinguals in Catalonia. Both languages evidence DOM, though prescriptive grammars claim only partial overlap. Empirical research on Catalan DOM within these bilinguals reveals differences in distribution. Based on these factors, along with sustained bilingualism at the community and individual levels, more optionality was predicted for the distribution of Spanish DOM. Results from an offline scalar Acceptability Judgment Task and a Self-Paced Reading Task reveal three important findings. First, each task revealed distinct distributions. Participants aligned more with prescriptive grammars for DOs that are high on the animacy and definiteness scales in the offline task and were more tolerant of greater variability with the same DOs in the online task, possibly indicating weakening of the obligatory DOM constraint in these contexts. Second, geographic area modulated acceptance of the absence of DOM with animate DOs, suggesting microvariation. Third, unmarked inanimate DOs were preferred across both tasks. Overall, the results are interpreted as revealing divergence from prescriptive descriptions of Peninsular Spanish DOM system.