Phonotactic Complexity across Dialects

arXiv:2402.12998v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Received wisdom in linguistic typology holds that if the structure of a language becomes more complex in one dimension, it will simplify in another, building on the assumption that all languages are equally complex (Joseph and Newmeyer, 2012). We study this claim on a micro-level, using a tightly-controlled sample of Dutch dialects (across 366 collection sites) and Min dialects (across 60 sites), which enables a more fair comparison across varieties. Even at the dialect level, …

abstract arxiv building claim complexity cs.cl joseph language languages micro sample study type will