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Evolved structure of language shows lineage-specific trends in word-order universals

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Dunn

    (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Post Office Box 310
    Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Kapittelweg 29)

  • Simon J. Greenhill

    (University of Auckland
    Computational Evolution Group, University of Auckland)

  • Stephen C. Levinson

    (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Post Office Box 310
    Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Kapittelweg 29)

  • Russell D. Gray

    (University of Auckland)

Abstract

A third way with words Two prominent theories for how languages evolve suggest that certain grammatical structures should be widely conserved, either because they reflect the way the brain works (Chomsky) or because they are logically connected to other structures (Greenberg). Testing these theories conclusively has been difficult without reliable information on how languages are related. Applying phylogenetic methods to more than a third of the world's 7,000 extant languages, and focusing on word order, Dunn et al. show that most seemingly universal structures are shared only between languages within the same family. This suggests that cultural evolution, rather than either of the two previous theories, explains the majority of linguistic structure.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Dunn & Simon J. Greenhill & Stephen C. Levinson & Russell D. Gray, 2011. "Evolved structure of language shows lineage-specific trends in word-order universals," Nature, Nature, vol. 473(7345), pages 79-82, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:473:y:2011:i:7345:d:10.1038_nature09923
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09923
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    Cited by:

    1. Hongdi Ding & Sicong Dong, 2023. "Elevation and fog-cloud similarity in Tibeto-Burman languages," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Ferrer-i-Cancho Ramon & Baixeries Jaume & Hernández-Fernández Antoni & Dębowski Łukasz & Mačutek Ján, 2014. "When is Menzerath-Altmann law mathematically trivial? A new approach," Statistical Applications in Genetics and Molecular Biology, De Gruyter, vol. 13(6), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Seán Roberts & James Winters, 2013. "Linguistic Diversity and Traffic Accidents: Lessons from Statistical Studies of Cultural Traits," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(8), pages 1-13, August.
    4. Ilja A. Seržant & George Moroz, 2022. "Universal attractors in language evolution provide evidence for the kinds of efficiency pressures involved," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.

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