The Null Theory of Code-Switching versus the Nonce Borrowing Hypothesis: Testing the Fit in Persian-English Bilingual Discourse

In this paper we determine the status of ambiguous lone English-origin nouns in otherwise Persian discourse. Utilizing the variationist comparative method, we analyze their distribution and conditioning and compare them to those of their counterparts in unmixed English. The results of our diagnostic measures all show remarkable similarities between the treatment of native Persian nouns, attested loanwords, and unattested lone English-origin nouns. The Null Theory of codeswitching is assessed against these findings. The Null Theory's prediction that both English and Persian heads should structurally project was not confirmed while the nonce borrowing hypothesis fully accounts for the findings of this study. Thus, the Null Theory provides no better explanation for the parallel patterns exhibited by English nonce forms and attested loanwords in Persian discourse to unmixed Persian than the more straightforward Nonce Borrowing Hypothesis. Our results constitute overwhelming evidence that there is no distinction between established loanwords and nonce borrowing and that therefore, they should all be classed as borrowed elements. As such they cannot be considered as evidence for any theory of codeswitching.