arXiv subjects

Eric W. Holman

Publications and source records attributed to Eric W. Holman.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2007

Approximately Independent Features of Languages

To facilitate the testing of models for the evolution of languages, the present note offers a set of linguistic features that are approximately independent of each other. To find these features, the adjusted Rand index R' is used to estimate the degree of pairwise relationship among 130 linguistic features in a large published database. Many of the R' values prove to be near 0, as predicted for independent features, and a subset of 47 features is found with an average R' of -0.0001. These 47 features are recommended for use in statistical tests that require independent units of analysis.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2007

Do language change rates depend on population size?

An earlier study (Nettle 1999b) concluded, based on computer simulations and some inferences from empirical data, that languages will change the more slowly the larger the population gets. We replicate this study using a more complete language model for simulations (the Schulze model combined with a Barabasi-Albert net- work) and a richer empirical dataset (the World Atlas of Language Structures edited by Haspelmath et al. 2005). Our simulations show either a weak or stronger dependence of language change on population sizes depending on the parameter settings, and empirical data, like some of the simulations, show a weak dependence.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2006

On the relation between structural diversity and geographical distance among languages: observations and computer simulations

The recent availability of larger typological databases such as Haspelmath et al. (2005) has brought the linguistics community closer to having a solid, empirical foundation for making actual claims about prehistoric migrations, deep genealogical relationship, and patterns of areal linguistic interaction. Nevertheless, still more data are needed, and more than anything a number of methodological problems need to be adressed. These problems, which are the focus of this paper. These questions will be addressed from two perspectives. The first perspective is an empirical one, where observations primarily derive from analyses of the data of Haspelmath et al. (2005). The second perspective is a computational one, where simulations are drawn upon to test the effects of different parameters on the development of structural linguistic diversity. The results suggest that there is indeed some hope that we may derive new empirical insights regarding linguistic prehistory by drawing upon typological data. We do not, however, make any specific empirical claims in this paper, but instead concentrate our efforts on methodology

physics.soc-ph↗