Abstract
Human languages include vast numbers of learned, arbitrary signal-meaning mappings but also many complex signal-meaning mappings that are systematically related to each other (i.e. not arbitrary). Although arbitrariness and systematicity are clearly related, the development of the two in communication systems has been explored independently. We present an experiment in which participants invent signs from scratch to refer to a set of real concepts that share semantic features. Through interaction, the systematic re-use of arbitrary elements emerges.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | CogSci 2009 Proceedings |
Editors | Niels Taatgen, Hedderik van Rijn |
Publisher | Cognitive Science Society |
Pages | 1971-1976 |
Number of pages | 6 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780976831953 |
Publication status | Published - 2009 |