Modelling linguistic taxonomic dynamics.

This paper presents the results of the application of a bit-string model of languages ( Schulze & Stauffer 2005 ) to problems of taxonomic patterns. The questions addressed include the following: (1) Which parameters are minimally needed for the development of a taxonomic dynamics leading to the typ...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Transactions of the Philological Society Vol. 105; no. 2; pp. 126 - 148
Autores principales: Wichmann, Søren, Stauer, Dietrich, Lima, F. Wellington S., Schulze, Christian
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Aug2007
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:This paper presents the results of the application of a bit-string model of languages ( Schulze & Stauffer 2005 ) to problems of taxonomic patterns. The questions addressed include the following: (1) Which parameters are minimally needed for the development of a taxonomic dynamics leading to the type of distribution of language family sizes currently attested (as measured in the number of languages per family), which appears to be a power-law? (2) How may such a model be coupled with one of the dynamics of speaker populations leading to the type of language size seen today, which appears to follow a log-normal distribution?