The New Sesquipedalian

Jennifer Culbertson
University of Rochester

Linguistic Universals as learning biases: Connecting typology to constraints on learning and change

February 3, 3:30-5:00 pm, 460-126

There will be a reception and an informal dinner following this talk. All are welcome!

Abstract

In this talk, I provide evidence for a key assumption of generative linguistics–namely, that biases in the language learning system constrain the space of possible human languages. Recent claims that typological universals do not exist, or are the result of factors outside the cognitive system, have highlighted the need for experimental evidence connecting learning biases to typological preferences (e.g. Evans & Levinson 2009). I focus on a word order universal, first formulated by Greenberg (1963), which bans a language from using both pre-nominal adjectives and post-nominal numerals. I report the results of two artificial language learning experiments showing that learning biases can provide an explanation for this universal. These biases are formalized and quantified as priors within a Bayesian model, which predict how constraints on learning can influence trajectories of language change.