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Abstract / Description of output
Languages spoken in larger populations seem to be relatively simple. One possible explanation is that this is a consequence of the simplifying influence of non-native speakers: adult learners tend to reduce complexity during learning, and large languages tend to have a higher proportion of non-native speakers. This Linguistic Niche Hypothesis, that languages adapt to their social niche, receives some statistical support from typological studies which show negative correlations between population size or number of non-native speakers and morphological complexity. Here I report an experimental test of this hypothesis, using two artificial language learning experiments to explore the impact of simplifications made by non-native-like early learners on morphological complexity. These experiments show that the presence of non-native-like early learners in a population can lead to the simplification of that language's morphology as a result of inter-generational language transmission, providing experimental support for the Linguistic Niche Hypothesis.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 46th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society |
Editors | Larissa K Samuelson, Stefan Frank, Mariya Toneva, Allyson Mackey, Eliot Hazeltine |
Publisher | eScholarship University of California |
Pages | 1346-1353 |
Volume | 46 |
Publication status | Published - 2024 |
Event | The 46th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society - Postillion Hotel & Conference Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands Duration: 24 Jul 2024 → 27 Jul 2024 https://cognitivesciencesociety.org/cogsci-2024 |
Publication series
Name | Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society |
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Publisher | eScholarship University of California |
Volume | 46 |
ISSN (Electronic) | 1069-7977 |
Conference
Conference | The 46th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society |
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Abbreviated title | COGSCI 2024 |
Country/Territory | Netherlands |
City | Rotterdam |
Period | 24/07/24 → 27/07/24 |
Internet address |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- language complexity
- linguistic niche hypothesis
- adult learning
- artificial language learning
- iterated learning
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