About
Erik Smitterberg is Professor of English Linguistics at Uppsala University, appointed in 2022 after serving as Senior Lecturer since 2014. His research employs corpus-based methodologies to investigate Late Modern English syntax, language evolution, and learner language phenomena.
Educational background:
- PhD in English Linguistics, Uppsala University
- Docent in English, Uppsala University (2008)
His core research focuses on Historical Linguistics and Corpus Linguistics, specializing in Late Modern English (c. 1700-1900) syntax. Key investigations include colloquialization (spread of spoken features into writing) and densification (expressing meaning with reduced linguistic material), analyzed through idiolect-based frameworks to resolve the 'stability paradox'. Additional expertise spans punctuation evolution, partitive constructions, multal quantifiers, and prescriptive norms in language learning.
Recent publications (2020-2025) reveal persistent exploration of syntactic change in English genres, with growing emphasis on pedagogical applications of corpora and critical analysis of learner grammar prescriptions. His 2021 monograph reconciles theoretical predictions of language change with historical stability observations.
Scientific recognition:
- Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities research fellowship (2009-2014)
Professor Smitterberg supervises MA/PhD theses in historical linguistics and corpus methods. His research collaborations span international networks, notably with Peter Grund (University of Kansas) on conjunct usage and Merja Kytö on Late Modern English conferences. He maintains the Swedish-language blog 'Anglisten' and authored the learner-focused workbook 'Spotting the Error' (2007).
