When speakers of different languages interact, they are likely to influence each other: contact leaves traces in the linguistic record, which in turn can reveal geographical areas of past human interaction and migration. However, other factors may contribute to similarities between languages. Inheritance from a shared ancestral language and universal preference for a linguistic property may both overshadow contact signals. How can we find geographical contact areas in language data, while accounting for the confounding effects of inheritance and universal preference? We present sBayes , an algorithm for Bayesian clustering in the presence of confounding effects. The algorithm learns which similarities are better explained by confounders, and which are due to contact effects. Contact areas are free to take any shape or size, but an explicit geographical prior ensures their spatial coherence. We test sBayes on simulated data and apply it in two case studies to reveal language contact in South America and the Balkans. Our results are supported by findings from previous studies. While we focus on detecting language contact, the method can also be used to uncover other traces of shared history in cultural evolution, and more generally, to reveal latent spatial clusters in the presence of confounders.
When speakers of two or more languages interact, they are likely to influence each other: contact leaves traces in the linguistic record, which in turn can reveal geographic areas of past human interaction and migration. However the complex, multi-dimensional nature of contact has hindered the development of a rigorous methodology for detecting its traces. Specifically, other factors may contribute to similarities between languages. Inheritance (a property is passed from an ancestor to several descendant languages), and universal preference (a property is universally preferred), may both overshadow contact signals. How can we find geographic contact areas in language data, while accounting for the confounding effects of inheritance and universal preference? We present sBayes, an algorithm for Bayesian clustering in the presence of confounding effects. The algorithm learns which similarities in a set of features are better accounted for by confounders, and which are due to contact effects. Contact areas are free to take any shape or size, but an explicit geographic prior ensures their spatial coherence. We test the clustering method on simulated data and apply it in two case studies to reveal language contact in South America and the Balkans. Our results are supported by ---mostly qualitative--- findings from previous studies. While we focus on the specific problem of language contact, the method can also be used to uncover other traces of shared history in cultural evolution, and more generally, to reveal latent spatial clusters in the presence of confounders.
Аннотация В статье рассматривается так называемое потенциальное значение рус-ского совершенного и несовершенного вида. Эта интерпретация возможна как при отсутствии модальных слов, так и вне специфических модальных конструкций. Пред-полагается, что потенциальное значение можно определить, учитывая семантику вида и прагматические принципы. Сравнение этого недискретного выражения потенци-альности с его выражением с помощью модальных глаголов разъясняет модальный потенциал грамматического вида. Доказывается, что категория вида не компенсиру-ет отсутствие систем модальных глаголов, так как совершенные и несовершенные предикаты сами по себе выражают только динамическую, а не деонтическую или эпистемическую модальность.
The present paper is concerned with 'reflexivised' verbs of emotion in Russian such as radovat'sja or zlit'sja, which are, as a rule, regarded as the subject-experiencer derivation of a basic non-reflexivised object-experiencer verb (i.e. radovat' and zlit'). However, upon closer analysis these verbs reveal an event structure that differs in crucial respects from that of true subject-experiencer verbs such as ljubit' or uvažat'. The need of positing reflexivised verbs of emotion as a separate type besides subject experiencer and non-reflexivised object experiencer verbs can be seen from their ability to appear in the construction 'direct speech + verb of emotion'. It will be shown that it is the event structure of reflexivised verbs of emotion that is basic for both the ability of those verbs to appear in that construction and the 'utterance'-interpretation they are ascribed there.Аннотация Данная статья посвящена 'возвратным' гаголам эмоций в русском языке как, например, радоваться или злиться. Подобные примеры обычно рассматривают-ся как глаголы с экспериент-субъектом, производные от невозвратных гаголов эмоций с экспериент-объектом (т.е. радовать и злить). Однако при более пристальном ана-лизе семантическая структура этих глаголов оказывается существенно отличающейся от семантической структуры настоящих глаголов с экспериент-субъектом, таких как любить или уважать. На необходимость считать возвратные глаголы эмоций от-дельной группой указывает их употребление в конструкциях типа 'прямая речь + глагол эмоций'. Как показывает анализ, именно семантическая структура возвратных глаголов эмоций представляет основу для употребления этих единиц в указанной
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