Singular-plural verb stem alternation: uncovering global and local drivers of typological variation

n this paper, we present a comparative concept for singular-plural verb stem alternation (Sg-Pl alternation) and a systematic global survey of its presence as well as its syntactic and semantic attributes, with a denser sample in the Americas. We show that Sg-Pl alternation is fairly common, occurring in about one in three languages, although its geographic distribution is highly uneven. Fine-grained data collected on the verbs targeted by the phenomenon reveal distinct global and local drivers. General semantic and syntactic properties are fairly consistent at the global level and reveal the relevance of the spatial configuration of the Figure (Motion Event), while at the local level highly specific semantics are shared across neigh- boring languages. This work will be of interest to both fieldworkers and typologists interested in distinguishing between the various causal factors for the development of typological properties.