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Evolution of an optimal lexicon under constraints from embodiment
Willem Zuidema1, Gert Westermann
1Language Evolution and Computation Research Unit, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, Institute for Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, 40 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LL, United Kingdom. jelle@ling.ed.ac.uk
Artificial Life
|February 6, 2004
Summary
Language evolution research uses language games to explain how complex language structures emerge from individual interactions. This framework models the spontaneous development of optimal lexicons, showing key characteristics like specificity and regularity.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Language evolution research explores complex structure emergence from individual interactions.
- It complements psycholinguistics and child language development studies.
- Language games offer a formal perspective on cognitive science debates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate language evolution through the lens of language games.
- To formally analyze the emergence of complex linguistic structures.
- To explore the synchronic-diachronic perspective, embodiment, and self-organization in language.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the framework of language games.
- Developing a measure for lexicon quality in a population.
- Presenting a model of lexical dynamics with embodiment constraints.
Main Results:
- Derived four characteristics of an optimal lexicon: specificity, coherence, distinctiveness, and regularity.
- Demonstrated the spontaneous emergence of these characteristics in a distributed population model.
- Showcased how embodiment constraints influence lexical dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Language games provide a valuable formal perspective on language evolution.
- The study models the self-organization of linguistic patterns and optimal lexicon emergence.
- Cognitive science research can enhance existing language game models.