The Origins of Vowel Systems

This book addresses tendencies of human vowel systems from the point of view of self-organization. It uses computer models to show that tendencies of human languages can be reproduced by artificial agents. DeBoer then explores the implications of those results for the evolution of language.

About the author

Bart de Boer is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Center for Mind, Brain, and Learning at the University of Washington. After completing his Ph.D. in Computer Science at Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, he spent four months carrying out fieldwork on the Bahing language of East Nepal before returning to Vrije as a Postdoctoral Assistant. He took up his current post in December 2000.

Summary

Addresses universal tendencies of human vowel systems from the point of view of self-organization. This work uses computer simulations to show that the same universal tendencies found in human languages can be reproduced in a population of artificial agents. It also explores the implications of these results for the evolution of language.

Product details

• Authors: Bart de Boer, Bart De Boer
• Publisher: Oxford Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 23.08.2001
• EAN: 9780198299653
• ISBN: 978-0-19-829965-3
• Dimensions: 164 mm x 245 mm x 18 mm
• Weight: 437 g
• Illustrations: numerous figures and tables
• Series: Studies in the Evolution of Language; Oxford Linguistics; Oxford Linguistics; Studies in the Evolution of Language; Oxford Studies in the Evolutio
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / Semantics, Phonetics, phonology, Historical & comparative linguistics, Semantics, discourse analysis, stylistics, Historical and comparative linguistics, Semantics, discourse analysis, etc