Andrew Weir
About
I am a professor of English Language and Linguistics in the Department of Language and Literature (ISL). I received my undergraduate MA in Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh in 2008, an MA in Syntax from University College London in 2009, and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2014. Prior to starting at NTNU in 2015, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the English department of Ghent University in Belgium.
Together with Anne Dahl, I lead the ForMAAL (Formal, Mental, and Acquisitional Approaches to Language) research group.
In Spring 2026 I am acting Head of English (programleder). I am also a member of NTNU's Language Policy Commitee (Språkpolitisk utvalg), and a member of the degree program committee for the five-year program in teacher training with language education (MLSPRÅK).
Research
I specialize in generative, theoretical linguistics. I am particularly interested in interfaces between the core linguistic 'modules' of syntax, semantics, and phonology/prosody. My work in this area particularly focuses on ellipsis (especially clausal ellipsis). I am also interested in comparative syntax and microvariation -- particularly syntactic and semantic features of dialects of English, especially Scottish English, and of ‘reduced written register’ such as diaries, text messages, headlines etc.
Publications
My personal website contains more details (and presents publications organized by topic), and some material that does not appear in the below automatically-generated list ('in press, to appear, submitted', plus handouts etc.)
2026
-
Weir, Andrew William;
Haegeman, Liliane.
(2026)
Register Variation: Core Grammar and Periphery.
Academic chapter
2025
-
Schwarzer, Marie-Luise;
Weir, Andrew William;
Fabregas, Antonio.
(2025)
No ellipsis-contained antecedents: adjunct-licensed ellipsis in Spanish.
The Linguistic Review
Academic article
2024
-
Bondevik, Ingrid;
Lohndal, Terje;
Weir, Andrew William;
Kush, Dave Whitney.
(2024)
Eliminating adjunct-specific conditions on movement: A case study of finite adjunct clauses in Norwegian.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral thesis
-
Weir, Andrew William.
(2024)
Nominal VP anaphora in Scandinavian and English.
Journal of Comparative Germanic Linguistics
Academic article
2023
-
Weir, Andrew William;
Kush, Dave Whitney;
Giskes, Anna.
(2023)
Incremental prediction in long-distance dependencies: Predictive mechanisms during the processing of cataphors.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral thesis
2022
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2022)
Fragments and left-edge ellipsis: The division of labour between syntax, semantics, and prosody.
Academic chapter
2021
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2021)
English and Englishes.
Non-fiction chapter
2020
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2020)
Negative fragment answers.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2020)
Antecedentless fragments: a middle road between sententialism and nonsententialism.
Acta Linguistica Hafniensia. International Journal of Linguistics
Academic article
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2020)
Resultatives, goal PPs, and postverbal subjects: From Scotland to Belfast.
Journal of Linguistics
Academic article
-
Eide, Kristin Melum;
Weir, Andrew.
(2020)
Introduction to special issue on morphosyntactic
variation within the individual language user.
Nordic Journal of Linguistics
Academic article
2019
-
Søraa, Ingrid;
Weir, Andrew;
Hårstad, Stian.
(2019)
The Sound of Disney: A sociolinguistic analysis of the use of English accents in four animated films from the 2010s.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Master thesis
-
Eide, Kristin Melum;
Weir, Andrew.
(2019)
Morphosyntactic microvariation within the individual language user.
Nordic Journal of Linguistics
Editorial
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2019)
Diary null subjects: an analogy with imperatives?.
Academic chapter
2018
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2018)
Structurally ambiguous 'again' without lexical decomposition: a Function Composition approach.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2018)
Cointensional questions, fragment answers, and structured meanings.
Academic chapter
2017
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2017)
But write what?.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2017)
DP-be-CP constructions and the licensing of clausal ellipsis.
Academic chapter
-
Bogal-Allbritten, Elizabeth;
Weir, Andrew.
(2017)
Sentential and possibly subsentential modification: the ambiguity of Collins conjunctions.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2017)
Object drop and article drop in reduced written register.
Linguistic Variation
Academic article
2016
-
Haegeman, Liliane;
Weir, Andrew.
(2016)
Finiteness and response particles in West Flemish.
Academic chapter
2015
-
Haegeman, Liliane;
Weir, Andrew;
Danckaert, Lieven;
D'Hulster, Tijs;
Buelens, Liisa.
(2015)
Against the root analysis of subject contact relatives in English.
Lingua
Academic article
-
Haegeman, Liliane;
Weir, Andrew.
(2015)
The cartography of 'yes' and 'no' in West Flemish.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2015)
Fragment answers and 'exceptional movement under ellipsis': A PF-movement account.
Academic chapter
2014
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2014)
Fragment answers and the Question under Discussion.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2014)
'Why'-stripping targets Voice Phrase.
Academic chapter
2013
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2013)
The syntax of imperatives in Scots.
Academic chapter
2012
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2012)
Left-edge deletion in English and subject omission in diaries.
English Language and Linguistics
Academic article
Journal publications
-
Schwarzer, Marie-Luise;
Weir, Andrew William;
Fabregas, Antonio.
(2025)
No ellipsis-contained antecedents: adjunct-licensed ellipsis in Spanish.
The Linguistic Review
Academic article
-
Haegeman, Liliane;
Weir, Andrew;
Danckaert, Lieven;
D'Hulster, Tijs;
Buelens, Liisa.
(2015)
Against the root analysis of subject contact relatives in English.
Lingua
Academic article
-
Eide, Kristin Melum;
Weir, Andrew.
(2019)
Morphosyntactic microvariation within the individual language user.
Nordic Journal of Linguistics
Editorial
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2020)
Antecedentless fragments: a middle road between sententialism and nonsententialism.
Acta Linguistica Hafniensia. International Journal of Linguistics
Academic article
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2020)
Resultatives, goal PPs, and postverbal subjects: From Scotland to Belfast.
Journal of Linguistics
Academic article
-
Eide, Kristin Melum;
Weir, Andrew.
(2020)
Introduction to special issue on morphosyntactic
variation within the individual language user.
Nordic Journal of Linguistics
Academic article
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2017)
Object drop and article drop in reduced written register.
Linguistic Variation
Academic article
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2012)
Left-edge deletion in English and subject omission in diaries.
English Language and Linguistics
Academic article
-
Weir, Andrew William.
(2024)
Nominal VP anaphora in Scandinavian and English.
Journal of Comparative Germanic Linguistics
Academic article
Part of book/report
-
Weir, Andrew William;
Haegeman, Liliane.
(2026)
Register Variation: Core Grammar and Periphery.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2020)
Negative fragment answers.
Academic chapter
-
Haegeman, Liliane;
Weir, Andrew.
(2015)
The cartography of 'yes' and 'no' in West Flemish.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2013)
The syntax of imperatives in Scots.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2021)
English and Englishes.
Non-fiction chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2019)
Diary null subjects: an analogy with imperatives?.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2018)
Structurally ambiguous 'again' without lexical decomposition: a Function Composition approach.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2014)
Fragment answers and the Question under Discussion.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2014)
'Why'-stripping targets Voice Phrase.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2017)
But write what?.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2017)
DP-be-CP constructions and the licensing of clausal ellipsis.
Academic chapter
-
Bogal-Allbritten, Elizabeth;
Weir, Andrew.
(2017)
Sentential and possibly subsentential modification: the ambiguity of Collins conjunctions.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2022)
Fragments and left-edge ellipsis: The division of labour between syntax, semantics, and prosody.
Academic chapter
-
Haegeman, Liliane;
Weir, Andrew.
(2016)
Finiteness and response particles in West Flemish.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2018)
Cointensional questions, fragment answers, and structured meanings.
Academic chapter
-
Weir, Andrew.
(2015)
Fragment answers and 'exceptional movement under ellipsis': A PF-movement account.
Academic chapter
Student thesis or dissertation
-
Søraa, Ingrid;
Weir, Andrew;
Hårstad, Stian.
(2019)
The Sound of Disney: A sociolinguistic analysis of the use of English accents in four animated films from the 2010s.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Master thesis
-
Bondevik, Ingrid;
Lohndal, Terje;
Weir, Andrew William;
Kush, Dave Whitney.
(2024)
Eliminating adjunct-specific conditions on movement: A case study of finite adjunct clauses in Norwegian.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral thesis
-
Weir, Andrew William;
Kush, Dave Whitney;
Giskes, Anna.
(2023)
Incremental prediction in long-distance dependencies: Predictive mechanisms during the processing of cataphors.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral thesis
Teaching
I am/have been responsible for teaching a number of courses in the section's and department's language portfolio. I focus on theoretical linguistics and syntax and semantics (ENG1101 English Linguistics, ENG2155 Theoretical Approaches to English Language, ENG3110 Special Subject in English Language, SPRÅK3002 Theories in Linguistics, SPRÅK3200 Semantics and Pragmatics), but have also taught in ENG1001 Global English and SPRÅK3001 Methods in Linguistics.
Supervision
I am always interested in advising student theses on topics within theoretical linguistics. Below are some particular areas of interest:
- Ellipsis: the syntax and semantics of ‘unspoken’ elements
- Grammar of ‘special registers’, especially in writing: grammatical phenomena in headlines, DMs/IMs/SMSs, diaries, recipes, …
- (Grammatical characteristics/analysis of) register variation generally
- (Grammatical characteristics/analysis of) ‘non-standard’ varieties of English (especially Scottish English, but others too)
- Comparative English/Scandinavian syntax and/or semantics (potentially also English/other languages)
- Interfaces between domains of grammar: syntax-semantics, syntax-phonology, phonology-syntax-semantics (NB! The phonology content of our BA/MA courses is minimal, so advisees interested in phonology would probably need to either have studied some phonology elsewhere or be willing to self-study very quickly and efficiently)
- I am very open to other topics within (English) syntax or semantics, in consultation with individual advisees.
- I am also very open to co-supervision where formal linguistics intersects with other approaches, e.g. acquisition or sociolinguistics.
I welcome inquiries from prospective PhD students. Here it will of course be more necessary than at the BA/MA level to have clear intersection with my specific areas of research. PhD supervisees would also be expected to actively participate in the ForMAAL (Formal, Mental, and Acquisitional Approaches to Language) research group.
Outreach
2022
-
Lecture
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2022) Restitutive 'again': function composition, not syntactic decomposition. Semantics in Norway
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2022) Optionality in auxiliary contraction deletion in English: an interface account. AcqVA workshop
2020
-
Lecture
2019
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2019) Intra-speaker variation and the syntax-prosody interface: left-edge ellipsis and auxiliary contraction in English. Register and dialect variation in the individual
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2019) Dialect data and generative syntax: Theories and methodologies. ScoSYa "Data Hack"
2018
-
Conference lecture
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2018) Left-edge ellipsis and clausal ellipsis: The division of labor between syntax, semantics and prosody. Societas Linguistica Europaea annual meeting
2017
-
LectureWeir, Andrew. (2017) La lingva situacio en Norvegio: ĉu lecionoj por la skota lingvo? [The language situation in Norway: lessons for Scots?]. Scottish and British Esperanto Congress
-
LectureWeir, Andrew. (2017) Lingvo: kio distingas nin de la bestoj (?) [Language: what distinguishes us from animals (?)]. Scottish and British Esperanto Congress
-
Conference lecture
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew; Kush, Dave Whitney; Dahl, Anne. (2017) Acquisition and variation in ellipsis. AcqVA retreat
2016
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2016) Ellipsis in 'DP be CP' constructions and the syntax of embedded fragments. Workshop on Fragments
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2016) The prosodic licensing of left-edge ellipsis and implications for clausal ellipsis. Ellipsis and Prosody workshop
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2016) Phrasal pronominalization and intra-Germanic variation in predicate that-anaphora. Comparative Germanic Syntax Workshop 31
-
Conference lecture
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2016) That's that construction analysed: that be 'resultatives' in Scottish English. Linguistics Association of Great Britain
-
Conference posterWeir, Andrew. (2016) Ellipsis in 'DP be CP' constructions and the syntax of embedded fragments. NELS 47
-
Conference posterWeir, Andrew. (2016) Cointensional questions and their implications for questions and fragment answers. Sinn und Bedeutung 21
-
Conference lectureBogal-Allbritten, Elizabeth; Weir, Andrew. (2016) Sentential and possibly subsentential modification: the ambiguity of Collins conjunctions. NELS 47
2014
-
Conference lectureWeir, Andrew. (2014) Fragment answers and 'exceptional movement under ellipsis': A PF-movement account. NELS 45