The absence of a trade-off between morphological and syntactic complexity
The hypothesis that all languages are equally complex often invokes a trade-off principle, according to which if a language is more complex in one particular domain, it will be simpler in another different domain. In this paper, we use data from WALS to test the existence of a trade-off between two...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Language Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1340493/full |
| _version_ | 1797351641876267008 |
|---|---|
| author | Antonio Benítez-Burraco Sihan Chen David Gil |
| author_facet | Antonio Benítez-Burraco Sihan Chen David Gil |
| author_sort | Antonio Benítez-Burraco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The hypothesis that all languages are equally complex often invokes a trade-off principle, according to which if a language is more complex in one particular domain, it will be simpler in another different domain. In this paper, we use data from WALS to test the existence of a trade-off between two specific domains: morphology and syntax. Contrary to widespread views, we did not find a negative correlation between these two language domains, but in fact a positive correlation. At the same time, this positive correlation seems to be driven by some language families, and it disappears when one considers purely morphological and purely syntactic features only. We discuss these findings in relation to ongoing research about language complexity, and in particular, the effects of factors external to language on linguistic structure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:03:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a05a9fc50de6465db59e59e18ca63b8b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2813-4605 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:03:27Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Language Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-a05a9fc50de6465db59e59e18ca63b8b2024-01-19T04:16:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Language Sciences2813-46052024-01-01310.3389/flang.2024.13404931340493The absence of a trade-off between morphological and syntactic complexityAntonio Benítez-Burraco0Sihan Chen1David Gil2Department of Spanish, Linguistics and Theory of Literature (Linguistics), Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, SpainDepartment of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United StatesDepartment of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, GermanyThe hypothesis that all languages are equally complex often invokes a trade-off principle, according to which if a language is more complex in one particular domain, it will be simpler in another different domain. In this paper, we use data from WALS to test the existence of a trade-off between two specific domains: morphology and syntax. Contrary to widespread views, we did not find a negative correlation between these two language domains, but in fact a positive correlation. At the same time, this positive correlation seems to be driven by some language families, and it disappears when one considers purely morphological and purely syntactic features only. We discuss these findings in relation to ongoing research about language complexity, and in particular, the effects of factors external to language on linguistic structure.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1340493/fullmorphological complexitytrade-offsWALSsyntactic complexitytypology |
| spellingShingle | Antonio Benítez-Burraco Sihan Chen David Gil The absence of a trade-off between morphological and syntactic complexity Frontiers in Language Sciences morphological complexity trade-offs WALS syntactic complexity typology |
| title | The absence of a trade-off between morphological and syntactic complexity |
| title_full | The absence of a trade-off between morphological and syntactic complexity |
| title_fullStr | The absence of a trade-off between morphological and syntactic complexity |
| title_full_unstemmed | The absence of a trade-off between morphological and syntactic complexity |
| title_short | The absence of a trade-off between morphological and syntactic complexity |
| title_sort | absence of a trade off between morphological and syntactic complexity |
| topic | morphological complexity trade-offs WALS syntactic complexity typology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1340493/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antoniobenitezburraco theabsenceofatradeoffbetweenmorphologicalandsyntacticcomplexity AT sihanchen theabsenceofatradeoffbetweenmorphologicalandsyntacticcomplexity AT davidgil theabsenceofatradeoffbetweenmorphologicalandsyntacticcomplexity AT antoniobenitezburraco absenceofatradeoffbetweenmorphologicalandsyntacticcomplexity AT sihanchen absenceofatradeoffbetweenmorphologicalandsyntacticcomplexity AT davidgil absenceofatradeoffbetweenmorphologicalandsyntacticcomplexity |