Simplicity as a driving force in linguistic evolution
How did language come to have its characteristic structure? Many argue that by understanding those parts of our biological machinery relevant to language, we can explain why language is the way it is. If the hallmarks of language are simply properties of our biological machinery, elicited through the process of language acquisition, then such an explanatory route is adequate. As soon as we admit the possibility that knowledge of language is learned, in the sense that language acquisition is a process involving inductive generalisations, then an explanatory inadequacy arises. Any thorough explanation of the characteristic structure of language must now explain why the input to the language acquisition process has certain properties and not others. This thesis builds on recent work that proposes that the linguistic stimulus has certain structural properties that arise as a result of linguistic evolution. Here, languages themselves adapt to fit the task of learning: they reflect an accumulated structural residue laid down by previous generations of language users. Using computational models of linguistic evolution I explore the relationship between language induction and generalisation based on a simplicity principle,
Brighton, Henry
Simplicity as a driving force in linguistic evolution. How did language come to have its characteristic structure? Many argue that by understanding those parts of our biological machinery relevant to language, we can explain why language is the way it is. If the hallmarks of language are simply properties of our biological machinery, elicited through the process of language acquisition, then such an explanatory route is adequate. As soon as we admit the possibility that knowledge of language is learned, in the sense that language acquisition is a process involving inductive generalisations, then an explanatory inadequacy arises. Any thorough explanation of the characteristic structure of language must now explain why the input to the language acquisition process has certain properties and not others. This thesis builds on recent work that proposes that the linguistic stimulus has certain structural properties that arise as a result of linguistic evolution. Here, languages themselves adapt to fit the task of learning: they reflect an accumulated structural residue laid down by previous generations of language users. Using computational models of linguistic evolution I explore the relationship between language induction and generalisation based on a simplicity principle,
simplicity drive_force linguistic evolution language come characteristic structure many argue part biological machinery relevant language explain language way hallmark language simply property biological machinery elicit process language_acquisition explanatory route adequate soon admit possibility knowledge language_learn sense language_acquisition process_involve inductive generalisation explanatory inadequacy arises thorough explanation characteristic structure language must_explain input language_acquisition process certain property others build recent_work propose linguistic stimulus certain structural_property arise linguistic evolution languages adapt fit task learning reflect accumulate structural residue lay previous generation language_user using computational_model linguistic evolution explore_relationship language induction generalisation base simplicity principle