The Morphospace of Language Networks

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2018 Jul 12

PMID 29993008

Citations 12

Authors

Luis F Seoane

Ricard Sole

Affiliations

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Abstract

What is the nature of language? How has it evolved in different species? Are there qualitative, well-defined classes of languages? Most studies of language evolution deal in a way or another with such theoretical contraption and explore the outcome of diverse forms of selection on the communication matrix that somewhat optimizes communication. This framework naturally introduces networks mediating the communicating agents, but no systematic analysis of the underlying landscape of possible language graphs has been developed. Here we present a detailed analysis of network properties on a generic model of a communication code, which reveals a rather complex and heterogeneous morphospace of language graphs. Additionally, we use curated data of English words to locate and evaluate real languages within this morphospace. Our findings indicate a surprisingly simple structure in human language unless particles with the ability of naming any other concept are introduced in the vocabulary. These results refine and for the first time complement with empirical data a lasting theoretical tradition around the framework of least effort language.

Citing Articles

The Morphospace of Consciousness: Three Kinds of Complexity for Minds and Machines.

Arsiwalla X, Sole R, Moulin-Frier C, Herreros I, Sanchez-Fibla M, Verschure P NeuroSci. 2024; 4(2):79-102.

PMID: 39483317 PMC: 11523714. DOI: 10.3390/neurosci4020009.

A multiplex analysis of phonological and orthographic networks.

Lara-Martinez P, Obregon-Quintana B, Reyes-Manzano C, Lopez-Rodriguez I, Guzman-Vargas L PLoS One. 2022; 17(9):e0274617.

PMID: 36107963 PMC: 9477335. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274617.

Evolution of Brains and Computers: The Roads Not Taken.

Sole R, Seoane L Entropy (Basel). 2022; 24(5).

PMID: 35626550 PMC: 9141356. DOI: 10.3390/e24050665.

Neologisms are epidemic: Modeling the life cycle of neologisms in China 2008-2016.

Jiang M, Shen X, Ahrens K, Huang C PLoS One. 2021; 16(2):e0245984.

PMID: 33534795 PMC: 7857598. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245984.

Comparing phonological and orthographic networks: A multiplex analysis.

Lara-Martinez P, Obregon-Quintana B, Reyes-Manzano C, Lopez-Rodriguez I, Guzman-Vargas L PLoS One. 2021; 16(2):e0245263.

PMID: 33524013 PMC: 7850493. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245263.

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