Are Languages like Atoms? On Modelling Language Spread as a Physicist

Autor(en)

Katharina Prochazka, Gero Vogl

Abstrakt

In physics, the spread of particles such as atoms is called diffusion. The same term is employed in linguistics to describe the spread of language features or languages as a whole. In this paper, we investigate how models for physical diffusion can be transferred to linguistics to study language spread. We review the different ways of describing physical diffusion and then look at two types of models to study language spread. By examining the differences and similarities between speakers, languages and atoms, we show that it is important to be clear about what is being modelled: languages or speakers, as these are quite different but cannot be completely separated - languages cannot exist without speakers and vice versa.

Organisation(en)

Dynamik Kondensierter Systeme

Journal

Glottotheory

Band

9

Seiten

77-88

Anzahl der Seiten

12

ISSN

1337-7892

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1515/glot-2018-0005

Publikationsdatum

11-2018

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

101028 Mathematische Modellierung, 103009 Festkörperphysik, 602048 Soziolinguistik

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

History, Linguistics and Language

Link zum Portal

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/are-languages-like-atoms-on-modelling-language-spread-as-a-physicist(c97d486c-6e10-4181-b3f1-d8c4d1f8ad79).html