Complexity trade-offs in core argument marking
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Kaius Sinnemäki
Abstract
Languages have often been claimed to trade off complexity in one area with simplicity in another. The present paper tests this claim with a complexity metric based on the functional load of different coding strategies (head/dependent marking and word order) that interact in core argument marking. Data from a sample of 50 languages showed that the functional use of word order had a statistically significant inverse dependency with the presence of morphological marking, especially with dependent marking. Most other dependencies were far from statistical significance and in fact provide evidence against the trade-off claim, leading to its rejection as a general all-encompassing principle. Overall, languages seem to adhere more strongly to distinctiveness than to economy.
Abstract
Languages have often been claimed to trade off complexity in one area with simplicity in another. The present paper tests this claim with a complexity metric based on the functional load of different coding strategies (head/dependent marking and word order) that interact in core argument marking. Data from a sample of 50 languages showed that the functional use of word order had a statistically significant inverse dependency with the presence of morphological marking, especially with dependent marking. Most other dependencies were far from statistical significance and in fact provide evidence against the trade-off claim, leading to its rejection as a general all-encompassing principle. Overall, languages seem to adhere more strongly to distinctiveness than to economy.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction: The problem of language complexity vii
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I. Typology and theory
- Complexity in linguistic theory, language learning and language change 3
- Grammatical complexity in cross-linguistic perspective 23
- Complexity trade-offs between the subsystems of language 43
- Complexity trade-offs in core argument marking 67
- Assessing linguistic complexity 89
- How complex are isolating languages? 109
- Complexity in isolating languages: Lexical elaboration versus grammatical economy 133
- Grammatical resources and linguistic complexity: Sirionó as a language without NP coordination 153
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II. Contact and change
- Why does a language undress? Strange cases in Indonesia 167
- Morphological complexity as a parameter of linguistic typology: Hungarian as a contact language 191
- Language complexity and interlinguistic difficulty 217
- Complexity in nominal plural allomorphy: A contrastive survey of ten Germanic languages 243
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III. Creoles and pidgins
- The simplicity of creoles in a cross-linguistic perspective 265
- Complexity in numeral systems with an investigation into pidgins and creoles 287
- Explaining Kabuverdianu nominal plural formation 305
- Complexity and simplicity in minimal lexica: The lexicon of Chinook Jargon 321
- Index of languages 341
- Index of authors 345
- Index of subjects 349
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction: The problem of language complexity vii
-
I. Typology and theory
- Complexity in linguistic theory, language learning and language change 3
- Grammatical complexity in cross-linguistic perspective 23
- Complexity trade-offs between the subsystems of language 43
- Complexity trade-offs in core argument marking 67
- Assessing linguistic complexity 89
- How complex are isolating languages? 109
- Complexity in isolating languages: Lexical elaboration versus grammatical economy 133
- Grammatical resources and linguistic complexity: Sirionó as a language without NP coordination 153
-
II. Contact and change
- Why does a language undress? Strange cases in Indonesia 167
- Morphological complexity as a parameter of linguistic typology: Hungarian as a contact language 191
- Language complexity and interlinguistic difficulty 217
- Complexity in nominal plural allomorphy: A contrastive survey of ten Germanic languages 243
-
III. Creoles and pidgins
- The simplicity of creoles in a cross-linguistic perspective 265
- Complexity in numeral systems with an investigation into pidgins and creoles 287
- Explaining Kabuverdianu nominal plural formation 305
- Complexity and simplicity in minimal lexica: The lexicon of Chinook Jargon 321
- Index of languages 341
- Index of authors 345
- Index of subjects 349
