The placement of the head that maximizes predictability. An information theoretic approach

Ramon Ferrer-i-Cancho

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arXiv · 1705.09932

The placement of the head that maximizes predictability. An information theoretic approach

Ramon Ferrer-i-Cancho

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Abstract

The minimization of the length of syntactic dependencies is a well-established principle of word order and the basis of a mathematical theory of word order. Here we complete that theory from the perspective of information theory, adding a competing word order principle: the maximization of predictability of a target element. These two principles are in conflict: to maximize the predictability of the head, the head should appear last, which maximizes the costs with respect to dependency length minimization. The implications of such a broad theoretical framework to understand the optimality, diversity and evolution of the six possible orderings of subject, object and verb are reviewed.

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Ramon Ferrer-i-Cancho. 2017-05-28. The placement of the head that maximizes predictability. An information theoretic approach. https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.09932

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