While it has long been understood that the human mind evolved to learn language, recent studies have begun to ask the inverted question: How has language evolved under the cognitive constraints of its users and become more learnable over time? In this paper, we explored how the semantic change of English words is shaped by the way humans acquire and process language. In Study 1, we quantified the extent of semantic change over the past 200 years and found that meaning change is more likely for words that are acquired later in life and are more difficult to process. We argue that it is human cognition that constrains the semantic evolution of words, rather than the other way around, because historical meanings of words were not easily accessible to people living today, and therefore could not have directly influenced how they learn and process language. In Study 2, we went further to show that semantic change, while bringing the benefit of meeting communicative needs, is cognitively costly for those who were born early enough to experience the change: Semantic change between 1970 and 2000 hindered processing speeds among middle-aged adults (ages 45–55) but not in younger adults (ages <25)>
Introduction
Languages face the challenge regarding saying a boundless listing of ideas using a restricted band of terminology (Chomsky, 1957). While one method to see so it difficulties will be to would this new terminology to share unique definitions, a far more popular strategy is to assign brand new significance in order to current words (Ramiro ainsi que al., 2018). Previous literature has shown the meanings of terms and conditions change in predictable ways (Ullmann, 1962) and other levels of these regularities when you look at the semantic changes was basically advised, eg grammaticalization, subjectification, erosion, and you may metaphorization (Lakoff, 2008; Tr). Concurrently, discover situation degree one documented exactly how while personal terms and conditions altered the meaning (e.g., Lehrer, 1985). Including, the initial concept of the definition of aired within the agriculture would be to shed otherwise sow vegetables widely, however with the fresh new regarding communications technology (including the radio), aired (once the very early 20th millennium) refers to the spread otherwise providing away from an email.
Just what facts earn some conditions alter their definitions so you’re able to an increased the quantity than the others? Our method to which matter observe a great Darwinian take a look at one to considers code because the a complex adaptive system that evolves under the choices stress regarding individual cognitive limitations over years from vocabulary profiles (Beckner et al., 2009; Christiansen & Chater, 2008; Darwin, 1871). You to extremely important cognitive restriction which can enjoys designed code progression try standard reading and you will processing biases produced by cognitive limits. One of many great things about such a view of language progression is that besides explaining just how esposa britГўnico people words exists, additionally provides a theoretical foundation to explore hypotheses out of exactly how individual languages transform once its introduction, the extent of latest data.
Facts giving support to the relatives between exactly how code was received and processed and just how words evolved could have been racking up, connected with research-mainly based tests out of artificial dialects (Kirby mais aussi al., 2008), computational simulations (Kirby, 2001; Monaghan et al., 2011; Steels, 2011), and much more recently, analysis from absolute language corpora (Mountains & Adelman, 2015; Monaghan, 2014). Also, it is really worth citing one intellectual restrictions don’t have getting quite strong to help you shape language evolution. Actually poor individual-height biases from inside the words practices will likely be scaled up to people-level linguistic phenomena via social sign (e.g., Scott-Phillips & Kirby, 2010) otherwise societal design (e.grams., Linguistic specific niche theory; Lupyan & Dale, 2010).
Dealing with a book?
But not, up until now, most training indicating the newest family off language advancement so you can language purchase and running keeps concerned about progression of one’s lexical function (elizabeth.grams., Monaghan, 2014; Pagel ainsi que al., 2007). Less evidence exists for how the fresh new advancement away from semantics, or perhaps the definitions of terminology, is related to code purchase and running. Thank goodness, the availability of large-size diachronic words corpora, also computational products to possess quantifying diachronic improvement in phrase embeddings through the years (elizabeth.g., Dubossarsky mais aussi al., 2016; Hamilton ainsi que al., 2016; Li ainsi que al., 2019) provides allowed us to address this particular pit on the literary works.