The interaction between cognitive ease and informativeness shapes the lexicons of natural languages
- Thomas Brochhagen (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
- Gemma Boleda (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, ICREA)
Abstract
Lexical ambiguity is pervasive in language, and often systematic. Previous work shows that systematic ambiguities involve related meanings. This is attributed to cognitive pressure towards simplicity in language, as it makes lexicons easier to learn and use. The present study examines the interplay between this pressure and competing pressure for languages to support accurate information transfer. We hypothesize that ambiguity is shaped by a balance of the two pressures; and find support for this idea in data from over 1200 languages and 1400 meanings. Our results thus suggest that universal forces shape the lexicons of natural languages.
Keywords: language universals, colexification, cognitive effort, ambiguity, efficient communication
How to Cite:
Brochhagen, T. & Boleda, G., (2022) “The interaction between cognitive ease and informativeness shapes the lexicons of natural languages”, Society for Computation in Linguistics 5(1), 217-219. doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/thzp-nd77
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