Using computer simulation to study linguistic diffusion
用模拟仿真研究语言扩散

Tao Gong 龚涛; Lan Shuai 帅兰

Abstract 摘要
Human language is constantly changing. Many of the changes are achieved via diffusion of linguistic variants in a population of interacting individuals. We design a simple computer model following the Pόlya-urn dynamics to evaluate possible effects of linguistic, individual learning, and socio-cultural factors on linguistic diffusion. Simulation results and statistical analyses collectively reveal that: variant prestige, rather than individual bias, is a fundamental selective pressure for diffusion; given variant prestige, speaker’s and hearer’s preferences for prestigious variants show different degrees of efficiency on diffusion; and structural features of social network, such as average degree and level of centrality, also modulate the degree of diffusion. This work offers an interdisciplinary approach to study linguistic diffusion and modify available theories and simulations concerning individual learning or social factors.

人类语言不断变化。很多变化是通过在一组交流个体中扩散不同形式的语言变体完成的。我们设计了一个基于Pόlya-urn动态的简单计算机模型研究语言、个体学习和社会-文化因素对语言扩散可能起的作用。模拟结果和统计分析表明：（1）对变体的偏好，而不是对使用者的偏好，是决定扩散的基本选择要素；在存在变体偏好情况下，（2）说者和听者对变体的偏好具有不同程度的扩散效率；（3）网络结构因素，如平均度和集中度，可调节扩散程度。此工作为研究语言扩散提供了一个跨学科手段，并改进了已有的关于个体和社会因素对语言扩散影响的理论和模拟研究。

Article 文章

<< Back 返回

Readers 读者