Download A BIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE LEXICON

A BIOLOGICAL APPROACH
TO THE LEXICON
Monica Tamariz
[email protected]
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Why?
ORGANISM = MENTAL LEXICON
(phonology & syntax)
• Both evolve
• Differences (obvious)
• If same fundamental elements,
useful analogy
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Fundamental elements
1. Replication
• Iteration
• Information
2. Variation
• Gene variants
• Gene combinations
3. Environmental interaction
• Adaptation
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1. Replication
Darwinism
phenotype
genotype
phenotype
phenotype changes
genotype
genetic changes
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Darwin vs. Lamarck
• Maynard Smith
• Compatibility of gametes
• Back-encoding: selection
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Lexicon replication
Darwinism
I-language
speech
I-language
mental lexicon changes
speech
speech changes
Croft (2000)
Mufwene (2001)
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Lex-phenotype: the Mental Lexicon
• System of words in a person’s brain
• Structure:
Functions
• Communication (of people), Self-replication (of
lexicon)
Constraints
• Perception & production, Processing, Learning
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Lex-genes
• Distributional patterns of
– Sounds
– Function words
– Morphemes
– Word order
• Passed unchanged to the next generation
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The genetic code
A C C T T T G A G T...
{
{
{
DIGITAL
Gly Ala Phe
DISTRIBUTED
está a un tiro de piedra de los países más
no se tocaría una piedra de la capilla hast
a fijar la primera piedra de un edificio que
able revestida de piedra que se encuentra e
umnista de cartón piedra puede (...) forjar
or de La balsa de piedra o Memorial del con
poner la primera piedra para constituir un
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Distributed code: Phonology
• Maye, Werker and Gerken (2002)
b
p
acquire 2 categories
b
p
acquire 1 category
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Distributed code: Syntax
• Regularities phonology-syntactic category
• Kelly, 1992
• Regularities intonation-syntactic structure
• Morgan and Newport, 1981
• Cooccurrence statistics
• Redington, Chater and Finch, 1998, Finch and
Chater,1992, Christiansen & Monaghan etc
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2. Variation
• Variation in the population:
– Many parents, super sexual reproduction
– Social + prestige factors
• Variation in the lex-gene pool
– Mutation
si por acaso
por si acaso
por si
si acaso
en caso de que
caso de que
caso que
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3. Environmental interaction (I)
DEVELOPMENT
• Genetic info + environment = phenotype
• Lex-genes + processor = mental lexicon
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Environmental interaction (II)
ADAPTATION
• Phenotype + environment = selection
• Mental lexicon + environment = selection
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Speech
Brain
Syntax-Semantic interactions
Lex-pheno
Memes
Lex-genes
Sem-pheno
Lex-pheno
Memes
Lex-genes
Sem-pheno
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• Pel plares the mangas of the sel bengily in
the sond.
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• Pel plares the mangas of the sel bengily in
the sond.
• Pyel ryabds the myangyas of the swol
byengily in the swond.
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• Pel plares the mangas of the sel bengily in
the sond.
• Pyel ryabds the myangyas of the swol
byengily in the swond.
• Peter throws the pieces of the letter angrily
in the bin.
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Differences (life vs. lexicon)
• Substrate
(chemical vs. temporal)
• Genetic code (digital vs. distributed)
• Reproduction (1-2 vs. many parents)
• Fertilisation
(one-off vs. continued)
• Function
(?? vs. human communication)
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Useful analogy?
• Explains Language Evolution
– Darwinian selection:
• Adaptation to communication
• Adaptation to changing processor
– Drift:
• Driven by Social Factors (Labov, Croft, Mufwene)
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Contribution
• Unifies Phonology, Syntax, Semantics,
Acquisition and Language Change
• Focus on statistical patterns in speech
(away from “rules in the brain”)
• Framework to explore relationships
between phonology-syntax and semantics
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A BIOLOGICAL APPROACH
TO THE LEXICON
Monica Tamariz
[email protected]
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