Complexity trade-offs in the 100-language WALS sample.

In this paper we use data from the World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS) for a balanced sample of 100 languages and 60 different features. The values for all those features are interpreted as binary complexity variables, which are subject to statistical correlation analyses (looking for the poss...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Language Sciences Vol. 59; pp. 148 - 159
Autor principal: Coloma, Germán
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Elsevier B.V. Jan2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jan2017
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      pub: Elsevier B.V.
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        10.1016/j.langsci.2016.10.006
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        atl: Complexity trade-offs in the 100-language WALS sample.
      aug:
        au: Coloma, Germán
        affil: CEMA University, Av. Cordoba 374, Buenos Aires, C1054AAP, Argentina
      su:
        Statistical correlation
        Language & languages
        Quantitative research
        Technological complexity
        Affiliation (Psychology)
      sug:
        subj:
          Statistical correlation
          Language & languages
          Quantitative research
          Technological complexity
          Affiliation (Psychology)
      keyword:
        Binary variables
        Complexity trade-off
        Partial correlation
        WALS
      ab: In this paper we use data from the World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS) for a balanced sample of 100 languages and 60 different features. The values for all those features are interpreted as binary complexity variables, which are subject to statistical correlation analyses (looking for the possible existence of complexity trade-offs). To do that we use standard correlation coefficients but also partial correlation coefficients, which control for the effect of other linguistic and non-linguistic factors (geographic location, genetic affiliation, population size). We end up with the conclusion that several important complexity trade-offs exist, but they tend to be hidden by other elements. Their most evident signals are the facts that negative correlations between complexity variables increase when we control for other factors, and that any language is more complex than any other language in the sample in at least one feature.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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