Cognitive Constraints Built into Formal Grammars: Implications for Language Evolution

Cognitive Constraints Built Into Formal Grammars: Implications for Language Evolution. In Ravignani, A. et al., eds.: The Evolution of Language: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference (EvoLang13). Brussels, Belgium, 14-17 April 2020.

Abstract

[Abstract] We study the validity of the cognitive independence assumption using an ensemble of artificial syntactic structures from various classes of dependency grammars. Our findings show that memory limitations have permeated current linguistic conceptions of grammar, suggesting that it may not be possible to adequately capture our unbounded capacity for language without incorporating cognitive constraints into the grammar formalism.

Keywords

Formal grammars
Cognitive constraints
Language evolution
Dependency grammar
Projectivity
Mild non-projectivity
Memory constraints
Dependency lengths
Syntax

Editor version

https://brussels.evolang.org/proceedings/papers/EvoLang13_paper_12.pdf

Rights

Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 España