The Paper contains a report on the theory and methodology used in a project on finnish syntax as investigated in (some genres of written) text. 123 texts containing 10,149 clauses (5016 graphical sentences) were analyzed according to a syntactic coding frame containing 63 variables. The variables include sentences structure, clause structure, clause type, clause function, clause length, surface word order, constituent structure, the text semantic and referential properties of nominal constituents, and some movement and deletion transformations. The theoretical considerations behind the selection of the variables are discussed in detail, as are the principles for syntactic sampling. The usefulness of the computer for certain low-level tasks is demonstrated, such as finding correlations between variables. The relevance of quantitative data to ‘qualitative’ syntactic description is stressed.

The article gives an overview of a universalistic hypothesis concerning world order change. Though noting the probabilistic nature of tendencies, it presents for comparison facts from the history of a specific language, Russian. It is a matter of opinion how such facts are weighted when they seem to be rathr against than for the hypothesis. However, what hopefully emerges clearly enough is that linearity and variation in syntax are guided by intonation and information structure as much as by structural analogy.

The present paper represents an attempt to explain the semantically deviant nature of causative constructions with present perfect effect sentences. As far as I known, such constructions have not been commented upon in the literature on causativity. I show that any counterfactual analysis of the traditional sort will bring them out as synthetic sentences, provided they are syntactically well-formed. On the other hand, if the notion os counterfactural dependence is re-interpreted along the lines of branching possible worlds, they can be shown to be systematically contradictory. I discuss the various revisions of the truth conditions for tensed formulae and of the general semantic framework which are necessary to accomplish this.

The paper discusses the problem of merger. Examples are taken from the development of the Scandinavian languages, especially the retention or disappearance of tones. The author argues that merger is not necessarily followed by a structural change to compensate for the loss of information, even if the merger is on a large scale. If there is a causal connection, the author prefers to see it the other way round; the merger may take place when other means of discrimination already exist.

In this paper, the hypothesis postulated by Askedal (1974), that the MHG forms beide and beidiu in combination with und(e) occur in syntactically determined complementary distribution in a statistical sense, is subjected to critical examination. It is aruged that on the basis of the statistical material employed in support of this hypothesis, it seems impossible to conclude that the syntactical environments influence the choice of the forms beide and beidiu.