2022
Ferrer-i-Cancho, R.; Lusseau, D.; McCowan, B.
Parallels of human language in the behavior of bottlenose dolphins Journal Article
In: Linguistic Frontiers, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 5-11, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Law of meaning distribution, Meaning-frequency law, Menzerath-Altmann law, theory construction, Zipf's law for word frequencies, Zipf's law of abbreviation
@article{Ferrer2022a,
title = {Parallels of human language in the behavior of bottlenose dolphins},
author = {R. Ferrer-i-Cancho and D. Lusseau and B. McCowan},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.01661},
doi = {10.2478/lf-2022-0002},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
journal = {Linguistic Frontiers},
volume = {5},
number = {1},
pages = {5-11},
abstract = {Dolphins exhibit striking similarities with humans. Here we review them with the help of quantitative linguistics and information theory. Various statistical laws of language that are well-known in quantitative linguistics, i.e. Zipf’s law for word frequencies, the law of meaning distribution, the law of abbreviation and Menzerath’s law, have been found in dolphin vocal or gestural behavior. The information theory of these laws suggests that humans and dolphins share cost-cutting principles of organization.},
keywords = {Law of meaning distribution, Meaning-frequency law, Menzerath-Altmann law, theory construction, Zipf's law for word frequencies, Zipf's law of abbreviation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Dolphins exhibit striking similarities with humans. Here we review them with the help of quantitative linguistics and information theory. Various statistical laws of language that are well-known in quantitative linguistics, i.e. Zipf’s law for word frequencies, the law of meaning distribution, the law of abbreviation and Menzerath’s law, have been found in dolphin vocal or gestural behavior. The information theory of these laws suggests that humans and dolphins share cost-cutting principles of organization.
Ferrer-i-Cancho, Ramon; Gómez-Rodríguez, Carlos
Dependency distance minimization predicts compression Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Second Workshop on Quantitative Syntax (Quasy, SyntaxFest 2021), pp. 45-57, Association for Computational Linguistics, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: dependency syntax, theory construction
@inproceedings{Ferrer2021a,
title = {Dependency distance minimization predicts compression},
author = {Ramon Ferrer-i-Cancho and Carlos Gómez-Rodríguez},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.08900},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Second Workshop on Quantitative Syntax (Quasy, SyntaxFest 2021)},
pages = {45-57},
publisher = {Association for Computational Linguistics},
address = {Sofia, Bulgaria},
abstract = {Dependency distance minimization (DDm) is a well-established principle of word order. It has been predicted theoretically that DDm implies compression, namely the minimization of word lengths. This is a second order prediction because it links a principle with another principle, rather than a principle and a manifestation as in a first order prediction. Here we test that second order prediction with a parallel collection of treebanks controlling for annotation style with Universal Dependencies and Surface-Syntactic Universal Dependencies. To test it, we use a recently introduced score that has many mathematical and statistical advantages with respect to the widely used sum of dependency distances. We find that the prediction is confirmed by the new score when word lengths are measured in phonemes, independently of the annotation style, but not when word lengths are measured in syllables. In contrast, one of the most widely used scores, i.e. the sum of dependency distances, fails to confirm that prediction, showing the weakness of raw dependency distances for research on word order. Finally, our findings expand the theory of natural communication by linking two distinct levels of organization, namely syntax (word order) and word internal structure.},
keywords = {dependency syntax, theory construction},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Dependency distance minimization (DDm) is a well-established principle of word order. It has been predicted theoretically that DDm implies compression, namely the minimization of word lengths. This is a second order prediction because it links a principle with another principle, rather than a principle and a manifestation as in a first order prediction. Here we test that second order prediction with a parallel collection of treebanks controlling for annotation style with Universal Dependencies and Surface-Syntactic Universal Dependencies. To test it, we use a recently introduced score that has many mathematical and statistical advantages with respect to the widely used sum of dependency distances. We find that the prediction is confirmed by the new score when word lengths are measured in phonemes, independently of the annotation style, but not when word lengths are measured in syllables. In contrast, one of the most widely used scores, i.e. the sum of dependency distances, fails to confirm that prediction, showing the weakness of raw dependency distances for research on word order. Finally, our findings expand the theory of natural communication by linking two distinct levels of organization, namely syntax (word order) and word internal structure.
Semple, S.; Ferrer-i-Cancho, R.; Gustison, M.
Linguistic laws in biology Journal Article
In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 53-66, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Law of meaning distribution, Meaning-frequency law, Menzerath-Altmann law, theory construction, Zipf's law for word frequencies, Zipf's law of abbreviation
@article{Semple2021a,
title = {Linguistic laws in biology},
author = {S. Semple and R. Ferrer-i-Cancho and M. Gustison},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.07387},
doi = {10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.012},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
journal = {Trends in Ecology and Evolution},
volume = {37},
number = {1},
pages = {53-66},
abstract = {Linguistic laws, the common statistical patterns of human language, have been investigated by quantitative linguists for nearly a century. Recently, biologists from a range of disciplines have started to explore the prevalence of these laws beyond language, finding patterns consistent with linguistic laws across multiple levels of biological organisation, from molecular (genomes, genes, and proteins) to organismal (animal behaviour) to ecological (populations and ecosystems). We propose a new conceptual framework for the study of linguistic laws in biology, comprising and integrating distinct levels of analysis, from description to prediction to theory building. Adopting this framework will provide critical new insights into the fundamental rules of organisation underpinning natural systems, unifying linguistic laws and core theory in biology.},
keywords = {Law of meaning distribution, Meaning-frequency law, Menzerath-Altmann law, theory construction, Zipf's law for word frequencies, Zipf's law of abbreviation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Linguistic laws, the common statistical patterns of human language, have been investigated by quantitative linguists for nearly a century. Recently, biologists from a range of disciplines have started to explore the prevalence of these laws beyond language, finding patterns consistent with linguistic laws across multiple levels of biological organisation, from molecular (genomes, genes, and proteins) to organismal (animal behaviour) to ecological (populations and ecosystems). We propose a new conceptual framework for the study of linguistic laws in biology, comprising and integrating distinct levels of analysis, from description to prediction to theory building. Adopting this framework will provide critical new insights into the fundamental rules of organisation underpinning natural systems, unifying linguistic laws and core theory in biology.
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