Quantifying the quantitative (re-)turn in historical linguistics
Historical linguistics is the study of language change and stability, of the history of individual languages, and of the relatedness between languages. In spite of numerous acknowledgements, the adoption of quantitative methods in historical linguistics is still far from being mainstream and it fall...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01531-2 |
| _version_ | 1811171812714741760 |
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| author | Barbara McGillivray Gard B. Jenset |
| author_facet | Barbara McGillivray Gard B. Jenset |
| author_sort | Barbara McGillivray |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Historical linguistics is the study of language change and stability, of the history of individual languages, and of the relatedness between languages. In spite of numerous acknowledgements, the adoption of quantitative methods in historical linguistics is still far from being mainstream and it falls below the level of other branches of linguistics. This comment considers the adoption of quantitative methods in recent historical linguistics research, and compares a study on 2012 publications with a similar study conducted seven years later. This comment argues for the advantages of a wider adoption of quantitative methods among historical linguists, and considers various reasons for the relatively slow progress in this direction. It also clarifies when quantitative methods are not the preferred route. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:20:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4aaad6a814f34e0eb1fb1f6562f56d93 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:20:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-4aaad6a814f34e0eb1fb1f6562f56d932023-02-05T12:07:05ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922023-01-011011610.1057/s41599-023-01531-2Quantifying the quantitative (re-)turn in historical linguisticsBarbara McGillivray0Gard B. Jenset1King’s College LondonSpringer NatureHistorical linguistics is the study of language change and stability, of the history of individual languages, and of the relatedness between languages. In spite of numerous acknowledgements, the adoption of quantitative methods in historical linguistics is still far from being mainstream and it falls below the level of other branches of linguistics. This comment considers the adoption of quantitative methods in recent historical linguistics research, and compares a study on 2012 publications with a similar study conducted seven years later. This comment argues for the advantages of a wider adoption of quantitative methods among historical linguists, and considers various reasons for the relatively slow progress in this direction. It also clarifies when quantitative methods are not the preferred route.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01531-2 |
| spellingShingle | Barbara McGillivray Gard B. Jenset Quantifying the quantitative (re-)turn in historical linguistics Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Quantifying the quantitative (re-)turn in historical linguistics |
| title_full | Quantifying the quantitative (re-)turn in historical linguistics |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying the quantitative (re-)turn in historical linguistics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying the quantitative (re-)turn in historical linguistics |
| title_short | Quantifying the quantitative (re-)turn in historical linguistics |
| title_sort | quantifying the quantitative re turn in historical linguistics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01531-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT barbaramcgillivray quantifyingthequantitativereturninhistoricallinguistics AT gardbjenset quantifyingthequantitativereturninhistoricallinguistics |