Zu einer neuen Verb-Zweit-Typologie in den germanischen Sprachen: der Fall des Zimbrischen und des Fersentalerischen

The aim of the present contribution is to provide evidence for a new classification of Germanic languages that takes them into account from a V2-typological viewpoint. In addition to the West Germanic languages that display the canonical V2-phenomenon and Modern English that manifests it only in restricted contexts, there are Germanic varieties like Cimbrian and Mòcheno – spoken in some enclaves in northern Italy (Lusérna and the Fersina Valley in Trentino) – that still show V-to-C-movement, although they do not display the well-known linear word order restriction of the V2-phenomenon. In order to classify this category we propose to refer to these languages as “relaxed V2-languages”, arguing that Germanic languages should be grouped into ‘strong’, ‘relaxed’ and ‘residual V2-languages’.