342006076 03 01 01 JB code JB John Benjamins Publishing Company 01 JB code SLCS 94 Hb 15 9789027231048 06 10.1075/slcs.94 13 2007037811 00 BB 01 245 mm 02 164 mm 08 825 gr 10 01 JB code SLCS 02 0165-7763 02 94.00 01 02 Studies in Language Companion Series Studies in Language Companion Series 01 01 Language Complexity Typology, contact, change Language Complexity: Typology, contact, change 1 B01 01 JB code 57091757 Matti Miestamo Miestamo, Matti Matti Miestamo University of Helsinki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/57091757 2 B01 01 JB code 608091758 Kaius Sinnemäki Sinnemäki, Kaius Kaius Sinnemäki University of Helsinki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/608091758 3 B01 01 JB code 574091759 Fred Karlsson Karlsson, Fred Fred Karlsson University of Helsinki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/574091759 01 eng 11 374 03 03 xiv 03 00 356 03 01 22 410 03 2008 P204 04 Typology (Linguistics) 04 Languages in contact. 04 Linguistic change. 04 Creole dialects. 04 Pidgin languages. 10 LAN009000 12 CFF 24 JB code LIN.CONT Contact Linguistics 24 JB code LIN.CREO Creole studies 24 JB code LIN.THEOR Theoretical linguistics 24 JB code LIN.TYP Typology 01 06 03 00 Language complexity has recently attracted considerable attention from linguists of many different persuasions. This volume – a thematic selection of papers from the conference Approaches to Complexity in Language, held in Helsinki, August 2005 – is the first collection of articles devoted to the topic. The sixteen chapters of the volume approach the notion of language complexity from a variety of perspectives. The papers are divided into three thematic sections that reflect the central themes of the book: Typology and theory, Contact and change, Creoles and pidgins. The book is mainly intended for typologists, historical linguists, contact linguists and creolists, as well as all linguists interested in language complexity in general. As the first collective volume on a very topical theme, the book is expected to be of lasting interest to the linguistic community. 01 00 03 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/475/slcs.94.png 01 01 D502 https://benjamins.com/covers/475_jpg/9789027231048.jpg 01 01 D504 https://benjamins.com/covers/475_tif/9789027231048.tif 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_front/slcs.94.hb.png 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/125/slcs.94.png 02 00 03 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_back/slcs.94.hb.png 03 00 03 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/3d_web/slcs.94.hb.png 01 01 JB code slcs.94.01kar 06 10.1075/slcs.94.01kar vii xiv 8 Miscellaneous 1 01 04 Introduction: The problem of language complexity Introduction: The problem of language complexity 1 A01 01 JB code 246091822 Fred Karlsson Karlsson, Fred Fred Karlsson 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/246091822 2 A01 01 JB code 523091823 Matti Miestamo Miestamo, Matti Matti Miestamo 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/523091823 3 A01 01 JB code 929091824 Kaius Sinnemäki Sinnemäki, Kaius Kaius Sinnemäki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/929091824 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.02i 06 10.1075/slcs.94.02i 1 1 1 Section header 2 01 04 I. Typology and theory I. Typology and theory 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.03kus 06 10.1075/slcs.94.03kus 3 22 20 Article 3 01 04 Complexity in linguistic theory, language learning and language change Complexity in linguistic theory, language learning and language change 1 A01 01 JB code 121091825 Wouter Kusters Kusters, Wouter Wouter Kusters 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/121091825 01 eng 30 00

In this paper I discuss how the notion of complexity can be defined and operationalized to serve as a concept in linguistic research domains like typology, historical linguistics and language contact and acquisition studies. Elaborating on earlier work (Kusters 2003) I argue that a relative notion of complexity is to be preferred over an absolute one. With such a substantial notion, I show that possible objections raised against the concept of complexity are not valid. I work this further out for complexity in verbal inflectional morphology. Finally I demonstrate some intricacies of complexity with examples from variation and change in Quechua varieties.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.04mie 06 10.1075/slcs.94.04mie 23 41 19 Article 4 01 04 Grammatical complexity in cross-linguistic perspective Grammatical complexity in cross-linguistic perspective 1 A01 01 JB code 168091826 Matti Miestamo Miestamo, Matti Matti Miestamo 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/168091826 01 eng 30 00

In this paper, I address theoretical and methodological issues in the cross-linguistic study of grammatical complexity. I identify two different approaches to complexity: the absolute one – complexity as an objective property of the system, and the relative one – complexity as cost/difficulty to language users. I discuss the usability of these approaches in typological studies of complexity. I then address some general problems concerning the comparison of languages in terms of overall complexity, and argue that in typological studies of complexity it is better to focus on specific domains that are comparable across languages. Next, I discuss a few general criteria for measuring complexity. Finally, I address the relationship between complexity and cross-linguistic rarity.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.05fen 06 10.1075/slcs.94.05fen 43 65 23 Article 5 01 04 Complexity trade-offs between the subsystems of language Complexity trade-offs between the subsystems of language 1 A01 01 JB code 76091827 Gertraud Fenk-Oczlon Fenk-Oczlon, Gertraud Gertraud Fenk-Oczlon 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/76091827 2 A01 01 JB code 477091828 August Fenk Fenk, August August Fenk 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/477091828 01 eng 30 00

Starting from a view on language as a combinatorial and hierarchically organized system we assumed that a high syllable complexity would favour a high number of syllable types, which in turn would favour a high number of monosyllables. Relevant cross-linguistic correlations based on Menzerath’s (1954) data on monosyllables in eight Indo-European languages turned out to be statistically significant. A further attempt was made to conceptualize “semantic complexity” and to relate it to complexity in phonology, word formation, and word order. In English, for instance, the tendency to phonological complexity and monosyllabism is associated with a tendency to homonymy and polysemy, to rigid word order and idiomatic speech. The results are explained by complexity trade-offs between rather than within the subsystems of language.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.06sin 06 10.1075/slcs.94.06sin 67 88 22 Article 6 01 04 Complexity trade-offs in core argument marking Complexity trade-offs in core argument marking 1 A01 01 JB code 231091829 Kaius Sinnemäki Sinnemäki, Kaius Kaius Sinnemäki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/231091829 01 eng 30 00

Languages have often been claimed to trade off complexity in one area with simplicity in another. The present paper tests this claim with a complexity metric based on the functional load of different coding strategies (head/dependent marking and word order) that interact in core argument marking. Data from a sample of 50 languages showed that the functional use of word order had a statistically significant inverse dependency with the presence of morphological marking, especially with dependent marking. Most other dependencies were far from statistical significance and in fact provide evidence against the trade-off claim, leading to its rejection as a general all-encompassing principle. Overall, languages seem to adhere more strongly to distinctiveness than to economy.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.07juo 06 10.1075/slcs.94.07juo 89 108 20 Article 7 01 04 Assessing linguistic complexity Assessing linguistic complexity 1 A01 01 JB code 12091830 Patrick Juola Juola, Patrick Patrick Juola 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/12091830 01 eng 30 00

The question of “linguistic complexity” is interesting and fruitful. Unfortunately, the intuitive meaning of “complexity” is not amenable to formal analysis. This paper discusses some proposed definitions and shows how complexity can be assessed in various frameworks. The results show that, as expected, languages are all about equally “complex,” but further that languages can and do differ reliably in their morphological and syntactic complexities along an intuitive continuum. I focus not only on the mathematical aspects of complexity, but on the psychological ones as well. Any claim about “complexity” is inherently about process, including an implicit description of the underlying cognitive machinery. By comparing different measures, one may better understand human language processing and similarly, understanding psycholinguistics may drive better measures.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.08gil 06 10.1075/slcs.94.08gil 109 131 23 Article 8 01 04 How complex are isolating languages? How complex are isolating languages? 1 A01 01 JB code 39091831 David Gil Gil, David David Gil 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/39091831 01 eng 30 00

How complex are isolating languages? The Compensation Hypothesis suggests that isolating languages make up for simpler morphology with greater complexity in other domains, such as syntax and semantics. This paper provides detailed argumentation against the Compensation Hypothesis. A cross-linguistic experiment measuring the complexity of compositional semantics shows that isolating languages rely more heavily on simple Associational Semantics, in which the interpretation of a combined expression is maximally vague or underdifferentiated, anything having to do with the interpretations of the constituent parts. In addition, it is argued that such vagueness is not necessarily resolved via recourse to context and a more complex pragmatics. Thus, it is concluded that isolating languages may indeed be of greater overall simplicity that their non-isolating counterparts.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.09rid 06 10.1075/slcs.94.09rid 133 151 19 Article 9 01 04 Complexity in isolating languages: Lexical elaboration versus grammatical economy Complexity in isolating languages: Lexical elaboration versus grammatical economy 1 A01 01 JB code 789091832 Elizabeth M. Riddle Riddle, Elizabeth M. Elizabeth M. Riddle 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/789091832 01 eng 30 00

Contrary to recent claims that highly analytic or isolating languages are simpler than synthetic languages, in large part due to lack of inflectional affixation in the former, I argue that although isolating Asian languages such as Hmong, Mandarin Chinese, and Thai may be economical in terms of inflection, they exhibit significantly more complex lexical patterns of particular types than more synthetic languages such as Polish and English in like contexts. Evidence includes the use of classifiers, reduplication, compounding, stylized four-part expressions, verb serialization, and other types of what I call “lexical elaboration.” This analysis has implications for the question “What is linguistic complexity?” as well as for the more basic and vexing question of “What is grammar?”

01 01 JB code slcs.94.10dah 06 10.1075/slcs.94.10dah 153 163 11 Article 10 01 04 Grammatical resources and linguistic complexity: Siriono as a language without NP coordination Grammatical resources and linguistic complexity: Sirionó as a language without NP coordination 1 A01 01 JB code 539091833 Östen Dahl Dahl, Östen Östen Dahl 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/539091833 01 eng 30 00

The paper discusses the relationship between cross-linguistic differences in grammatical resources and linguistic complexity. It is claimed that Sirionó (Tupí-Guaraní) lacks syntactic coordination as in English John and Mary are asleep. Instead, Sirionó employs a number of different strategies – the ‘with’ strategy, the list strategy, and the ‘also’ strategy – to make up for this. It is argued that one or more of these strategies may serve as a diachronic source of syntactic coordination. The development of syntactic coordination in a language exemplifies condensation processes in grammaticalization and increases complexity in the sense that a certain type of complex syntactic structure is introduced, and makes it possible to express in one syntactic unit what previously needed two or more.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.11ii 06 10.1075/slcs.94.11ii 165 165 1 Section header 11 01 04 II. Contact and change II. Contact and change 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.12mcw 06 10.1075/slcs.94.12mcw 167 190 24 Article 12 01 04 Why does a language undress? Strange cases in Indonesia Why does a language undress? Strange cases in Indonesia 1 A01 01 JB code 746091834 John H. McWhorter McWhorter, John H. John H. McWhorter 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/746091834 01 eng 30 00

I have argued in various presentations that it is inherent to natural grammars to maintain a considerable level of complexity over time: simplifications occur, but are counterbalanced by complexifications due to grammaticalization, reanalysis, and new patterns created by phonetic erosion. I argue that only extensive acquisition by adults makes grammars simplify to a significant overall degree. Creoles are the extreme case, but languages like English, Mandarin Chinese, Persian, and Indonesian are less complex than their sister languages to a degree that correlates with their extensive histories of non-native acquisition at certain points on their timelines. In this paper I address a few cases in Indonesia that challenge my stipulation. The grammatical simplicity of Riau Indonesian and the languages of East Timor is due to adult acquisition. Meanwhile, a few completely analytic languages on Flores suggest either that my stipulation must be taken as a tendency, or that we can take the nature of the languages as spurs for investigating sociological disruption in the past.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.13gro 06 10.1075/slcs.94.13gro 191 215 25 Article 13 01 04 Morphological complexity as a parameter of linguistic typology: Hungarian as a contact language Morphological complexity as a parameter of linguistic typology: Hungarian as a contact language 1 A01 01 JB code 413091835 Casper Groot Groot, Casper Casper Groot 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/413091835 01 eng 30 00

The paper builds on studies on Hungarian spoken outside Hungary (Fenyvesi (ed.) 2005), which show a change from synthetic to analytic expression in Hungarian in contact. It argues that a parameter of morphological complexity is helpful to account for most morphological changes. With one exception the changes follow the strategy of replicating use patterns (Heine & Kuteva 2005). Other changes arise by implication of a different typological system adopted by the new varieties of Hungarian (De Groot 2005a). A detailed comparison between Hungarian inside and outside Hungary in terms of linguistic complexity (Dahl 2004) confirm to the idea that languages in contact become linguistically more complex. The paper furthermore discusses the interaction between typology, language change by contact, and complexity.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.14lin 06 10.1075/slcs.94.14lin 217 242 26 Article 14 01 04 Language complexity and interlinguistic difficulty Language complexity and interlinguistic difficulty 1 A01 01 JB code 399091836 Eva Lindström Lindström, Eva Eva Lindström 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/399091836 01 eng 30 00

This paper explores the related but distinct issues of linguistic complexity and difficulty, as from the viewpoint of an adult learner. Language complexity is seen as an objective property of a system, which could in principle be computed mathematically, while difficulty is grounded in the particular person who experiences the difficulty, involving factors such as the linguistic categories present and the nature of their marking in the learner’s own language. This reasoning will be illustrated with one non-Austronesian language, Kuot, and its three Austronesian neighbours, Nalik, Notsi and Madak, of north-central New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.15dam 06 10.1075/slcs.94.15dam 243 262 20 Article 15 01 04 Complexity in nominal plural allomorphy: A contrastive survey of ten Germanic languages Complexity in nominal plural allomorphy: A contrastive survey of ten Germanic languages 1 A01 01 JB code 179091837 Antje Dammel Dammel, Antje Antje Dammel 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/179091837 2 A01 01 JB code 197091838 Sebastian Kürschner Kürschner, Sebastian Sebastian Kürschner 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/197091838 01 eng 30 00

We investigate the complexity of nominal plural allomorphy in ten Germanic languages from a contrastive and diachronic perspective. Focusing on one language family allows us to develop multidimensional criteria to measure morphological complexity and to compare different diachronical drifts. We introduce a three-step complexity metric, involving (1) a quantitative step, (2) a qualitative step, and (3) a validation step comparing the results from step (1) and (2) to actual language use. In this article, we apply the method’s two first steps to the plural allomorphy of our sample languages. Our criteria include for (1) the number of allomorphs and for (2) iconicity in form-meaning relationship, the basis of allomorph assignment, and the direction of determination between stem and suffix. Our approach reveals Faroese as the most complex language and English as the simplest one.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.16iii 06 10.1075/slcs.94.16iii 263 263 1 Section header 16 01 04 III. Creoles and pidgins III. Creoles and pidgins 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.17par 06 10.1075/slcs.94.17par 265 285 21 Article 17 01 04 The simplicity of creoles in a cross-linguistic perspective The simplicity of creoles in a cross-linguistic perspective 1 A01 01 JB code 606091839 Mikael Parkvall Parkvall, Mikael Mikael Parkvall 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/606091839 01 eng 30 00

This paper discusses the possibility of quantifying complexity in languages in general, and in creoles in particular. It argues that creoles are indeed different from non-creoles, primarily in being less complex. While this has been argued before, this is the first attempt to prove it through the use of an extensive typological database. It is noteworthy that the diff ering complexity is not related to the relative lack of morphology in creoles, since they are also simpler than analytical languages. Finally, the parallels between pidgins and creoles (and in particular the fact that languages sociologically intermediate between the two categories are also structurally intermediate) support the increasingly questioned belief that pidgins are born out of pidgins.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.18ham 06 10.1075/slcs.94.18ham 287 304 18 Article 18 01 04 Complexity in numeral systems with an investigation into pidgins and creoles Complexity in numeral systems with an investigation into pidgins and creoles 1 A01 01 JB code 429091840 Harald Hammarström Hammarström, Harald Harald Hammarström 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/429091840 01 eng 30 00

This paper defines and surveys numeral systems from languages across the world. We define the complexity of a numeral system in some detail and give examples of varying complexity from different languages. The examples are chosen to illustrate the bounds on complexity that actually occur in natural languages and to delineate tricky issues of analysis. Then we contrast the complexity in numeral systems of pidgin/creole languages versus their lexifiers and versus languages generally in the world. It turns out that pidgins/creoles have slightly less complex numeral systems than their lexifiers, but probably still more complex than the world average. However, the conclusions in this respect are limited by gaps in documentation and unsystematic knowledge of the linguistic and social history of alleged pidgin/creole languages.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.19bar 06 10.1075/slcs.94.19bar 305 320 16 Article 19 01 04 Explaining Kabuverdianu nominal plural formation Explaining Kabuverdianu nominal plural formation 1 A01 01 JB code 789091841 Angela Bartens Bartens, Angela Angela Bartens 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/789091841 2 A01 01 JB code 337091842 Niclas Sandström Sandström, Niclas Niclas Sandström 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/337091842 01 eng 30 00

In this study, we apply the morphosyntactic 4-M model developed by Myers-Scotton and Jake (2000a, b) to data from Kabuverdianu or Cape Verdean Creole Portuguese (CVC) which has been less strongly restructured than so-called prototypical creoles.1 We focus on nominal plural marking where CVC presents similar morphosyntactic configurations as Brazilian Vernacular Portuguese (BVP) and the Portuguese spoken by the “Tongas”. Previous accounts of CVC and BVP nominal plural marking mention the occurrence of (at least) one inflectional marker per NP. We argue that the reduction of inflectional plural marking in CVC constitutes a case of overall loss of morphosyntactic complexity which is due to CVC having arisen through substantial reduction and restructuring during creolisation and to having shallow time-depth of existence in comparison to older languages, e.g., its lexifier Portuguese. We also argue that 4-M theory may constitute a useful diagnostic tool for the prediction of the configurations of complexity vs. simplification in cases of language reduction.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.20juv 06 10.1075/slcs.94.20juv 321 340 20 Article 20 01 04 Complexity and simplicity in minimal lexica: The lexicon of Chinook Jargon Complexity and simplicity in minimal lexica: The lexicon of Chinook Jargon 1 A01 01 JB code 8091843 Päivi Juvonen Juvonen, Päivi Päivi Juvonen 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/8091843 01 eng 30 00

I examine the ways the minimal lexicon of a pidgin language, Chinook Jargon, gains maximal efficiency when put into use in a contemporary fictional text. The paper first describes the lexicon used from a structural point of view. It then examines the use of multifunctional lexical items in comparison to English. The results of these studies show, that 1) there is no bound morphology (neither derivational nor inflectional) in the variety studied and, 2) there is much more multifunctionality in the pidgin text than in the English texts. Finally, it is argued that the results show that the lexicon studied can indeed be described as simple and efficient.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.21ind 06 10.1075/slcs.94.21ind 341 344 4 Miscellaneous 21 01 04 Index of languages Index of languages 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.22ind 06 10.1075/slcs.94.22ind 345 348 4 Miscellaneous 22 01 04 Index of authors Index of authors 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.23ind 06 10.1075/slcs.94.23ind 349 356 8 Miscellaneous 23 01 04 Index of subjects Index of subjects 01 eng
01 JB code JBENJAMINS John Benjamins Publishing Company 01 01 JB code JB John Benjamins Publishing Company 01 https://benjamins.com 02 https://benjamins.com/catalog/slcs.94 Amsterdam NL 00 John Benjamins Publishing Company Marketing Department / Karin Plijnaar, Pieter Lamers onix@benjamins.nl 04 01 00 20080206 C 2008 John Benjamins Publishing Company D 2008 John Benjamins Publishing Company 02 WORLD WORLD US CA MX 09 01 JB 1 John Benjamins Publishing Company +31 20 6304747 +31 20 6739773 bookorder@benjamins.nl 01 https://benjamins.com 21 13 20 01 00 Unqualified price 02 JB 1 02 110.00 EUR 02 00 Unqualified price 02 92.00 01 Z 0 GBP GB US CA MX 01 01 JB 2 John Benjamins Publishing Company +1 800 562-5666 +1 703 661-1501 benjamins@presswarehouse.com 01 https://benjamins.com 21 13 20 01 00 Unqualified price 02 JB 1 02 165.00 USD
646014191 03 01 01 JB code JB John Benjamins Publishing Company 01 JB code SLCS 94 GE 15 9789027291356 06 10.1075/slcs.94 00 EA E133 10 01 JB code SLCS 02 JB code 0165-7763 02 94.00 01 02 Studies in Language Companion Series Studies in Language Companion Series 01 01 Language Complexity Language Complexity 1 B01 01 JB code 57091757 Matti Miestamo Miestamo, Matti Matti Miestamo University of Helsinki 2 B01 01 JB code 608091758 Kaius Sinnemäki Sinnemäki, Kaius Kaius Sinnemäki University of Helsinki 3 B01 01 JB code 574091759 Fred Karlsson Karlsson, Fred Fred Karlsson University of Helsinki 01 eng 11 374 03 03 xiv 03 00 356 03 24 JB code LIN.CONT Contact Linguistics 24 JB code LIN.CREO Creole studies 24 JB code LIN.THEOR Theoretical linguistics 24 JB code LIN.TYP Typology 10 LAN009000 12 CFF 01 06 03 00 Language complexity has recently attracted considerable attention from linguists of many different persuasions. This volume – a thematic selection of papers from the conference Approaches to Complexity in Language, held in Helsinki, August 2005 – is the first collection of articles devoted to the topic. The sixteen chapters of the volume approach the notion of language complexity from a variety of perspectives. The papers are divided into three thematic sections that reflect the central themes of the book: Typology and theory, Contact and change, Creoles and pidgins. The book is mainly intended for typologists, historical linguists, contact linguists and creolists, as well as all linguists interested in language complexity in general. As the first collective volume on a very topical theme, the book is expected to be of lasting interest to the linguistic community. 01 00 03 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/475/slcs.94.png 01 01 D502 https://benjamins.com/covers/475_jpg/9789027231048.jpg 01 01 D504 https://benjamins.com/covers/475_tif/9789027231048.tif 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_front/slcs.94.hb.png 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/125/slcs.94.png 02 00 03 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_back/slcs.94.hb.png 03 00 03 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/3d_web/slcs.94.hb.png 01 01 JB code slcs.94.01kar 06 10.1075/slcs.94.01kar vii xiv 8 Miscellaneous 1 01 04 Introduction: The problem of language complexity Introduction: The problem of language complexity 1 A01 01 JB code 246091822 Fred Karlsson Karlsson, Fred Fred Karlsson 2 A01 01 JB code 523091823 Matti Miestamo Miestamo, Matti Matti Miestamo 3 A01 01 JB code 929091824 Kaius Sinnemäki Sinnemäki, Kaius Kaius Sinnemäki 01 01 JB code slcs.94.02i 06 10.1075/slcs.94.02i 1 1 1 Section header 2 01 04 I. Typology and theory I. Typology and theory 01 01 JB code slcs.94.03kus 06 10.1075/slcs.94.03kus 3 22 20 Article 3 01 04 Complexity in linguistic theory, language learning and language change Complexity in linguistic theory, language learning and language change 1 A01 01 JB code 121091825 Wouter Kusters Kusters, Wouter Wouter Kusters 01 01 JB code slcs.94.04mie 06 10.1075/slcs.94.04mie 23 41 19 Article 4 01 04 Grammatical complexity in cross-linguistic perspective Grammatical complexity in cross-linguistic perspective 1 A01 01 JB code 168091826 Matti Miestamo Miestamo, Matti Matti Miestamo 01 01 JB code slcs.94.05fen 06 10.1075/slcs.94.05fen 43 65 23 Article 5 01 04 Complexity trade-offs between the subsystems of language Complexity trade-offs between the subsystems of language 1 A01 01 JB code 76091827 Gertraud Fenk-Oczlon Fenk-Oczlon, Gertraud Gertraud Fenk-Oczlon 2 A01 01 JB code 477091828 August Fenk Fenk, August August Fenk 01 01 JB code slcs.94.06sin 06 10.1075/slcs.94.06sin 67 88 22 Article 6 01 04 Complexity trade-offs in core argument marking Complexity trade-offs in core argument marking 1 A01 01 JB code 231091829 Kaius Sinnemäki Sinnemäki, Kaius Kaius Sinnemäki 01 01 JB code slcs.94.07juo 06 10.1075/slcs.94.07juo 89 108 20 Article 7 01 04 Assessing linguistic complexity Assessing linguistic complexity 1 A01 01 JB code 12091830 Patrick Juola Juola, Patrick Patrick Juola 01 01 JB code slcs.94.08gil 06 10.1075/slcs.94.08gil 109 131 23 Article 8 01 04 How complex are isolating languages? How complex are isolating languages? 1 A01 01 JB code 39091831 David Gil Gil, David David Gil 01 01 JB code slcs.94.09rid 06 10.1075/slcs.94.09rid 133 151 19 Article 9 01 04 Complexity in isolating languages: Lexical elaboration versus grammatical economy Complexity in isolating languages: Lexical elaboration versus grammatical economy 1 A01 01 JB code 789091832 Elizabeth M. Riddle Riddle, Elizabeth M. Elizabeth M. Riddle 01 01 JB code slcs.94.10dah 06 10.1075/slcs.94.10dah 153 163 11 Article 10 01 04 Grammatical resources and linguistic complexity: Siriono as a language without NP coordination Grammatical resources and linguistic complexity: Sirionó as a language without NP coordination 1 A01 01 JB code 539091833 Östen Dahl Dahl, Östen Östen Dahl 01 01 JB code slcs.94.11ii 06 10.1075/slcs.94.11ii 165 165 1 Section header 11 01 04 II. Contact and change II. Contact and change 01 01 JB code slcs.94.12mcw 06 10.1075/slcs.94.12mcw 167 190 24 Article 12 01 04 Why does a language undress? Strange cases in Indonesia Why does a language undress? Strange cases in Indonesia 1 A01 01 JB code 746091834 John H. McWhorter McWhorter, John H. John H. McWhorter 01 01 JB code slcs.94.13gro 06 10.1075/slcs.94.13gro 191 215 25 Article 13 01 04 Morphological complexity as a parameter of linguistic typology: Hungarian as a contact language Morphological complexity as a parameter of linguistic typology: Hungarian as a contact language 1 A01 01 JB code 413091835 Casper Groot Groot, Casper Casper Groot 01 01 JB code slcs.94.14lin 06 10.1075/slcs.94.14lin 217 242 26 Article 14 01 04 Language complexity and interlinguistic difficulty Language complexity and interlinguistic difficulty 1 A01 01 JB code 399091836 Eva Lindström Lindström, Eva Eva Lindström 01 01 JB code slcs.94.15dam 06 10.1075/slcs.94.15dam 243 262 20 Article 15 01 04 Complexity in nominal plural allomorphy: A contrastive survey of ten Germanic languages Complexity in nominal plural allomorphy: A contrastive survey of ten Germanic languages 1 A01 01 JB code 179091837 Antje Dammel Dammel, Antje Antje Dammel 2 A01 01 JB code 197091838 Sebastian Kürschner Kürschner, Sebastian Sebastian Kürschner 01 01 JB code slcs.94.16iii 06 10.1075/slcs.94.16iii 263 263 1 Section header 16 01 04 III. Creoles and pidgins III. Creoles and pidgins 01 01 JB code slcs.94.17par 06 10.1075/slcs.94.17par 265 285 21 Article 17 01 04 The simplicity of creoles in a cross-linguistic perspective The simplicity of creoles in a cross-linguistic perspective 1 A01 01 JB code 606091839 Mikael Parkvall Parkvall, Mikael Mikael Parkvall 01 01 JB code slcs.94.18ham 06 10.1075/slcs.94.18ham 287 304 18 Article 18 01 04 Complexity in numeral systems with an investigation into pidgins and creoles Complexity in numeral systems with an investigation into pidgins and creoles 1 A01 01 JB code 429091840 Harald Hammarström Hammarström, Harald Harald Hammarström 01 01 JB code slcs.94.19bar 06 10.1075/slcs.94.19bar 305 320 16 Article 19 01 04 Explaining Kabuverdianu nominal plural formation Explaining Kabuverdianu nominal plural formation 1 A01 01 JB code 789091841 Angela Bartens Bartens, Angela Angela Bartens 2 A01 01 JB code 337091842 Niclas Sandström Sandström, Niclas Niclas Sandström 01 01 JB code slcs.94.20juv 06 10.1075/slcs.94.20juv 321 340 20 Article 20 01 04 Complexity and simplicity in minimal lexica: The lexicon of Chinook Jargon Complexity and simplicity in minimal lexica: The lexicon of Chinook Jargon 1 A01 01 JB code 8091843 Päivi Juvonen Juvonen, Päivi Päivi Juvonen 01 01 JB code slcs.94.21ind 06 10.1075/slcs.94.21ind 341 344 4 Miscellaneous 21 01 04 Index of languages Index of languages 01 01 JB code slcs.94.22ind 06 10.1075/slcs.94.22ind 345 348 4 Miscellaneous 22 01 04 Index of authors Index of authors 01 01 JB code slcs.94.23ind 06 10.1075/slcs.94.23ind 349 356 8 Miscellaneous 23 01 04 Index of subjects Index of subjects 01 JB code JBENJAMINS John Benjamins Publishing Company 01 01 JB code JB John Benjamins Publishing Company 01 https://benjamins.com Amsterdam NL 00 John Benjamins Publishing Company Marketing Department / Karin Plijnaar, Pieter Lamers onix@benjamins.nl 04 01 00 20080206 C 2008 John Benjamins Publishing Company D 2008 John Benjamins Publishing Company 02 WORLD 13 15 9789027231048 WORLD 03 01 JB 17 Google 03 https://play.google.com/store/books 21 01 00 Unqualified price 00 110.00 EUR 01 00 Unqualified price 00 92.00 GBP 01 00 Unqualified price 00 165.00 USD 885007083 03 01 01 JB code JB John Benjamins Publishing Company 01 JB code SLCS 94 Eb 15 9789027291356 06 10.1075/slcs.94 00 EA E107 10 01 JB code SLCS 02 0165-7763 02 94.00 01 02 Studies in Language Companion Series Studies in Language Companion Series 11 01 JB code jbe-all 01 02 Full EBA collection (ca. 4,200 titles) 11 01 JB code jbe-2015-all 01 02 Complete backlist (3,208 titles, 1967–2015) 05 02 Complete backlist (1967–2015) 11 01 JB code jbe-2015-linguistics 01 02 Subject collection: Linguistics (2,773 titles, 1967–2015) 05 02 Linguistics (1967–2015) 11 01 JB code jbe-2015-slcs 01 02 Studies in Language Companion Series (vols. 1–171, 1978–2015) 05 02 SLCS (vols. 1–171, 1978–2015) 01 01 Language Complexity Typology, contact, change Language Complexity: Typology, contact, change 1 B01 01 JB code 57091757 Matti Miestamo Miestamo, Matti Matti Miestamo University of Helsinki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/57091757 2 B01 01 JB code 608091758 Kaius Sinnemäki Sinnemäki, Kaius Kaius Sinnemäki University of Helsinki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/608091758 3 B01 01 JB code 574091759 Fred Karlsson Karlsson, Fred Fred Karlsson University of Helsinki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/574091759 01 eng 11 374 03 03 xiv 03 00 356 03 01 22 410 03 2008 P204 04 Typology (Linguistics) 04 Languages in contact. 04 Linguistic change. 04 Creole dialects. 04 Pidgin languages. 10 LAN009000 12 CFF 24 JB code LIN.CONT Contact Linguistics 24 JB code LIN.CREO Creole studies 24 JB code LIN.THEOR Theoretical linguistics 24 JB code LIN.TYP Typology 01 06 03 00 Language complexity has recently attracted considerable attention from linguists of many different persuasions. This volume – a thematic selection of papers from the conference Approaches to Complexity in Language, held in Helsinki, August 2005 – is the first collection of articles devoted to the topic. The sixteen chapters of the volume approach the notion of language complexity from a variety of perspectives. The papers are divided into three thematic sections that reflect the central themes of the book: Typology and theory, Contact and change, Creoles and pidgins. The book is mainly intended for typologists, historical linguists, contact linguists and creolists, as well as all linguists interested in language complexity in general. As the first collective volume on a very topical theme, the book is expected to be of lasting interest to the linguistic community. 01 00 03 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/475/slcs.94.png 01 01 D502 https://benjamins.com/covers/475_jpg/9789027231048.jpg 01 01 D504 https://benjamins.com/covers/475_tif/9789027231048.tif 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_front/slcs.94.hb.png 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/125/slcs.94.png 02 00 03 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_back/slcs.94.hb.png 03 00 03 01 01 D503 https://benjamins.com/covers/3d_web/slcs.94.hb.png 01 01 JB code slcs.94.01kar 06 10.1075/slcs.94.01kar vii xiv 8 Miscellaneous 1 01 04 Introduction: The problem of language complexity Introduction: The problem of language complexity 1 A01 01 JB code 246091822 Fred Karlsson Karlsson, Fred Fred Karlsson 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/246091822 2 A01 01 JB code 523091823 Matti Miestamo Miestamo, Matti Matti Miestamo 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/523091823 3 A01 01 JB code 929091824 Kaius Sinnemäki Sinnemäki, Kaius Kaius Sinnemäki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/929091824 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.02i 06 10.1075/slcs.94.02i 1 1 1 Section header 2 01 04 I. Typology and theory I. Typology and theory 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.03kus 06 10.1075/slcs.94.03kus 3 22 20 Article 3 01 04 Complexity in linguistic theory, language learning and language change Complexity in linguistic theory, language learning and language change 1 A01 01 JB code 121091825 Wouter Kusters Kusters, Wouter Wouter Kusters 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/121091825 01 eng 30 00

In this paper I discuss how the notion of complexity can be defined and operationalized to serve as a concept in linguistic research domains like typology, historical linguistics and language contact and acquisition studies. Elaborating on earlier work (Kusters 2003) I argue that a relative notion of complexity is to be preferred over an absolute one. With such a substantial notion, I show that possible objections raised against the concept of complexity are not valid. I work this further out for complexity in verbal inflectional morphology. Finally I demonstrate some intricacies of complexity with examples from variation and change in Quechua varieties.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.04mie 06 10.1075/slcs.94.04mie 23 41 19 Article 4 01 04 Grammatical complexity in cross-linguistic perspective Grammatical complexity in cross-linguistic perspective 1 A01 01 JB code 168091826 Matti Miestamo Miestamo, Matti Matti Miestamo 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/168091826 01 eng 30 00

In this paper, I address theoretical and methodological issues in the cross-linguistic study of grammatical complexity. I identify two different approaches to complexity: the absolute one – complexity as an objective property of the system, and the relative one – complexity as cost/difficulty to language users. I discuss the usability of these approaches in typological studies of complexity. I then address some general problems concerning the comparison of languages in terms of overall complexity, and argue that in typological studies of complexity it is better to focus on specific domains that are comparable across languages. Next, I discuss a few general criteria for measuring complexity. Finally, I address the relationship between complexity and cross-linguistic rarity.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.05fen 06 10.1075/slcs.94.05fen 43 65 23 Article 5 01 04 Complexity trade-offs between the subsystems of language Complexity trade-offs between the subsystems of language 1 A01 01 JB code 76091827 Gertraud Fenk-Oczlon Fenk-Oczlon, Gertraud Gertraud Fenk-Oczlon 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/76091827 2 A01 01 JB code 477091828 August Fenk Fenk, August August Fenk 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/477091828 01 eng 30 00

Starting from a view on language as a combinatorial and hierarchically organized system we assumed that a high syllable complexity would favour a high number of syllable types, which in turn would favour a high number of monosyllables. Relevant cross-linguistic correlations based on Menzerath’s (1954) data on monosyllables in eight Indo-European languages turned out to be statistically significant. A further attempt was made to conceptualize “semantic complexity” and to relate it to complexity in phonology, word formation, and word order. In English, for instance, the tendency to phonological complexity and monosyllabism is associated with a tendency to homonymy and polysemy, to rigid word order and idiomatic speech. The results are explained by complexity trade-offs between rather than within the subsystems of language.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.06sin 06 10.1075/slcs.94.06sin 67 88 22 Article 6 01 04 Complexity trade-offs in core argument marking Complexity trade-offs in core argument marking 1 A01 01 JB code 231091829 Kaius Sinnemäki Sinnemäki, Kaius Kaius Sinnemäki 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/231091829 01 eng 30 00

Languages have often been claimed to trade off complexity in one area with simplicity in another. The present paper tests this claim with a complexity metric based on the functional load of different coding strategies (head/dependent marking and word order) that interact in core argument marking. Data from a sample of 50 languages showed that the functional use of word order had a statistically significant inverse dependency with the presence of morphological marking, especially with dependent marking. Most other dependencies were far from statistical significance and in fact provide evidence against the trade-off claim, leading to its rejection as a general all-encompassing principle. Overall, languages seem to adhere more strongly to distinctiveness than to economy.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.07juo 06 10.1075/slcs.94.07juo 89 108 20 Article 7 01 04 Assessing linguistic complexity Assessing linguistic complexity 1 A01 01 JB code 12091830 Patrick Juola Juola, Patrick Patrick Juola 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/12091830 01 eng 30 00

The question of “linguistic complexity” is interesting and fruitful. Unfortunately, the intuitive meaning of “complexity” is not amenable to formal analysis. This paper discusses some proposed definitions and shows how complexity can be assessed in various frameworks. The results show that, as expected, languages are all about equally “complex,” but further that languages can and do differ reliably in their morphological and syntactic complexities along an intuitive continuum. I focus not only on the mathematical aspects of complexity, but on the psychological ones as well. Any claim about “complexity” is inherently about process, including an implicit description of the underlying cognitive machinery. By comparing different measures, one may better understand human language processing and similarly, understanding psycholinguistics may drive better measures.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.08gil 06 10.1075/slcs.94.08gil 109 131 23 Article 8 01 04 How complex are isolating languages? How complex are isolating languages? 1 A01 01 JB code 39091831 David Gil Gil, David David Gil 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/39091831 01 eng 30 00

How complex are isolating languages? The Compensation Hypothesis suggests that isolating languages make up for simpler morphology with greater complexity in other domains, such as syntax and semantics. This paper provides detailed argumentation against the Compensation Hypothesis. A cross-linguistic experiment measuring the complexity of compositional semantics shows that isolating languages rely more heavily on simple Associational Semantics, in which the interpretation of a combined expression is maximally vague or underdifferentiated, anything having to do with the interpretations of the constituent parts. In addition, it is argued that such vagueness is not necessarily resolved via recourse to context and a more complex pragmatics. Thus, it is concluded that isolating languages may indeed be of greater overall simplicity that their non-isolating counterparts.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.09rid 06 10.1075/slcs.94.09rid 133 151 19 Article 9 01 04 Complexity in isolating languages: Lexical elaboration versus grammatical economy Complexity in isolating languages: Lexical elaboration versus grammatical economy 1 A01 01 JB code 789091832 Elizabeth M. Riddle Riddle, Elizabeth M. Elizabeth M. Riddle 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/789091832 01 eng 30 00

Contrary to recent claims that highly analytic or isolating languages are simpler than synthetic languages, in large part due to lack of inflectional affixation in the former, I argue that although isolating Asian languages such as Hmong, Mandarin Chinese, and Thai may be economical in terms of inflection, they exhibit significantly more complex lexical patterns of particular types than more synthetic languages such as Polish and English in like contexts. Evidence includes the use of classifiers, reduplication, compounding, stylized four-part expressions, verb serialization, and other types of what I call “lexical elaboration.” This analysis has implications for the question “What is linguistic complexity?” as well as for the more basic and vexing question of “What is grammar?”

01 01 JB code slcs.94.10dah 06 10.1075/slcs.94.10dah 153 163 11 Article 10 01 04 Grammatical resources and linguistic complexity: Siriono as a language without NP coordination Grammatical resources and linguistic complexity: Sirionó as a language without NP coordination 1 A01 01 JB code 539091833 Östen Dahl Dahl, Östen Östen Dahl 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/539091833 01 eng 30 00

The paper discusses the relationship between cross-linguistic differences in grammatical resources and linguistic complexity. It is claimed that Sirionó (Tupí-Guaraní) lacks syntactic coordination as in English John and Mary are asleep. Instead, Sirionó employs a number of different strategies – the ‘with’ strategy, the list strategy, and the ‘also’ strategy – to make up for this. It is argued that one or more of these strategies may serve as a diachronic source of syntactic coordination. The development of syntactic coordination in a language exemplifies condensation processes in grammaticalization and increases complexity in the sense that a certain type of complex syntactic structure is introduced, and makes it possible to express in one syntactic unit what previously needed two or more.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.11ii 06 10.1075/slcs.94.11ii 165 165 1 Section header 11 01 04 II. Contact and change II. Contact and change 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.12mcw 06 10.1075/slcs.94.12mcw 167 190 24 Article 12 01 04 Why does a language undress? Strange cases in Indonesia Why does a language undress? Strange cases in Indonesia 1 A01 01 JB code 746091834 John H. McWhorter McWhorter, John H. John H. McWhorter 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/746091834 01 eng 30 00

I have argued in various presentations that it is inherent to natural grammars to maintain a considerable level of complexity over time: simplifications occur, but are counterbalanced by complexifications due to grammaticalization, reanalysis, and new patterns created by phonetic erosion. I argue that only extensive acquisition by adults makes grammars simplify to a significant overall degree. Creoles are the extreme case, but languages like English, Mandarin Chinese, Persian, and Indonesian are less complex than their sister languages to a degree that correlates with their extensive histories of non-native acquisition at certain points on their timelines. In this paper I address a few cases in Indonesia that challenge my stipulation. The grammatical simplicity of Riau Indonesian and the languages of East Timor is due to adult acquisition. Meanwhile, a few completely analytic languages on Flores suggest either that my stipulation must be taken as a tendency, or that we can take the nature of the languages as spurs for investigating sociological disruption in the past.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.13gro 06 10.1075/slcs.94.13gro 191 215 25 Article 13 01 04 Morphological complexity as a parameter of linguistic typology: Hungarian as a contact language Morphological complexity as a parameter of linguistic typology: Hungarian as a contact language 1 A01 01 JB code 413091835 Casper Groot Groot, Casper Casper Groot 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/413091835 01 eng 30 00

The paper builds on studies on Hungarian spoken outside Hungary (Fenyvesi (ed.) 2005), which show a change from synthetic to analytic expression in Hungarian in contact. It argues that a parameter of morphological complexity is helpful to account for most morphological changes. With one exception the changes follow the strategy of replicating use patterns (Heine & Kuteva 2005). Other changes arise by implication of a different typological system adopted by the new varieties of Hungarian (De Groot 2005a). A detailed comparison between Hungarian inside and outside Hungary in terms of linguistic complexity (Dahl 2004) confirm to the idea that languages in contact become linguistically more complex. The paper furthermore discusses the interaction between typology, language change by contact, and complexity.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.14lin 06 10.1075/slcs.94.14lin 217 242 26 Article 14 01 04 Language complexity and interlinguistic difficulty Language complexity and interlinguistic difficulty 1 A01 01 JB code 399091836 Eva Lindström Lindström, Eva Eva Lindström 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/399091836 01 eng 30 00

This paper explores the related but distinct issues of linguistic complexity and difficulty, as from the viewpoint of an adult learner. Language complexity is seen as an objective property of a system, which could in principle be computed mathematically, while difficulty is grounded in the particular person who experiences the difficulty, involving factors such as the linguistic categories present and the nature of their marking in the learner’s own language. This reasoning will be illustrated with one non-Austronesian language, Kuot, and its three Austronesian neighbours, Nalik, Notsi and Madak, of north-central New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.15dam 06 10.1075/slcs.94.15dam 243 262 20 Article 15 01 04 Complexity in nominal plural allomorphy: A contrastive survey of ten Germanic languages Complexity in nominal plural allomorphy: A contrastive survey of ten Germanic languages 1 A01 01 JB code 179091837 Antje Dammel Dammel, Antje Antje Dammel 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/179091837 2 A01 01 JB code 197091838 Sebastian Kürschner Kürschner, Sebastian Sebastian Kürschner 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/197091838 01 eng 30 00

We investigate the complexity of nominal plural allomorphy in ten Germanic languages from a contrastive and diachronic perspective. Focusing on one language family allows us to develop multidimensional criteria to measure morphological complexity and to compare different diachronical drifts. We introduce a three-step complexity metric, involving (1) a quantitative step, (2) a qualitative step, and (3) a validation step comparing the results from step (1) and (2) to actual language use. In this article, we apply the method’s two first steps to the plural allomorphy of our sample languages. Our criteria include for (1) the number of allomorphs and for (2) iconicity in form-meaning relationship, the basis of allomorph assignment, and the direction of determination between stem and suffix. Our approach reveals Faroese as the most complex language and English as the simplest one.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.16iii 06 10.1075/slcs.94.16iii 263 263 1 Section header 16 01 04 III. Creoles and pidgins III. Creoles and pidgins 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.17par 06 10.1075/slcs.94.17par 265 285 21 Article 17 01 04 The simplicity of creoles in a cross-linguistic perspective The simplicity of creoles in a cross-linguistic perspective 1 A01 01 JB code 606091839 Mikael Parkvall Parkvall, Mikael Mikael Parkvall 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/606091839 01 eng 30 00

This paper discusses the possibility of quantifying complexity in languages in general, and in creoles in particular. It argues that creoles are indeed different from non-creoles, primarily in being less complex. While this has been argued before, this is the first attempt to prove it through the use of an extensive typological database. It is noteworthy that the diff ering complexity is not related to the relative lack of morphology in creoles, since they are also simpler than analytical languages. Finally, the parallels between pidgins and creoles (and in particular the fact that languages sociologically intermediate between the two categories are also structurally intermediate) support the increasingly questioned belief that pidgins are born out of pidgins.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.18ham 06 10.1075/slcs.94.18ham 287 304 18 Article 18 01 04 Complexity in numeral systems with an investigation into pidgins and creoles Complexity in numeral systems with an investigation into pidgins and creoles 1 A01 01 JB code 429091840 Harald Hammarström Hammarström, Harald Harald Hammarström 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/429091840 01 eng 30 00

This paper defines and surveys numeral systems from languages across the world. We define the complexity of a numeral system in some detail and give examples of varying complexity from different languages. The examples are chosen to illustrate the bounds on complexity that actually occur in natural languages and to delineate tricky issues of analysis. Then we contrast the complexity in numeral systems of pidgin/creole languages versus their lexifiers and versus languages generally in the world. It turns out that pidgins/creoles have slightly less complex numeral systems than their lexifiers, but probably still more complex than the world average. However, the conclusions in this respect are limited by gaps in documentation and unsystematic knowledge of the linguistic and social history of alleged pidgin/creole languages.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.19bar 06 10.1075/slcs.94.19bar 305 320 16 Article 19 01 04 Explaining Kabuverdianu nominal plural formation Explaining Kabuverdianu nominal plural formation 1 A01 01 JB code 789091841 Angela Bartens Bartens, Angela Angela Bartens 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/789091841 2 A01 01 JB code 337091842 Niclas Sandström Sandström, Niclas Niclas Sandström 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/337091842 01 eng 30 00

In this study, we apply the morphosyntactic 4-M model developed by Myers-Scotton and Jake (2000a, b) to data from Kabuverdianu or Cape Verdean Creole Portuguese (CVC) which has been less strongly restructured than so-called prototypical creoles.1 We focus on nominal plural marking where CVC presents similar morphosyntactic configurations as Brazilian Vernacular Portuguese (BVP) and the Portuguese spoken by the “Tongas”. Previous accounts of CVC and BVP nominal plural marking mention the occurrence of (at least) one inflectional marker per NP. We argue that the reduction of inflectional plural marking in CVC constitutes a case of overall loss of morphosyntactic complexity which is due to CVC having arisen through substantial reduction and restructuring during creolisation and to having shallow time-depth of existence in comparison to older languages, e.g., its lexifier Portuguese. We also argue that 4-M theory may constitute a useful diagnostic tool for the prediction of the configurations of complexity vs. simplification in cases of language reduction.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.20juv 06 10.1075/slcs.94.20juv 321 340 20 Article 20 01 04 Complexity and simplicity in minimal lexica: The lexicon of Chinook Jargon Complexity and simplicity in minimal lexica: The lexicon of Chinook Jargon 1 A01 01 JB code 8091843 Päivi Juvonen Juvonen, Päivi Päivi Juvonen 07 https://benjamins.com/catalog/persons/8091843 01 eng 30 00

I examine the ways the minimal lexicon of a pidgin language, Chinook Jargon, gains maximal efficiency when put into use in a contemporary fictional text. The paper first describes the lexicon used from a structural point of view. It then examines the use of multifunctional lexical items in comparison to English. The results of these studies show, that 1) there is no bound morphology (neither derivational nor inflectional) in the variety studied and, 2) there is much more multifunctionality in the pidgin text than in the English texts. Finally, it is argued that the results show that the lexicon studied can indeed be described as simple and efficient.

01 01 JB code slcs.94.21ind 06 10.1075/slcs.94.21ind 341 344 4 Miscellaneous 21 01 04 Index of languages Index of languages 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.22ind 06 10.1075/slcs.94.22ind 345 348 4 Miscellaneous 22 01 04 Index of authors Index of authors 01 eng 01 01 JB code slcs.94.23ind 06 10.1075/slcs.94.23ind 349 356 8 Miscellaneous 23 01 04 Index of subjects Index of subjects 01 eng
01 JB code JBENJAMINS John Benjamins Publishing Company 01 01 JB code JB John Benjamins Publishing Company 01 https://benjamins.com 02 https://benjamins.com/catalog/slcs.94 Amsterdam NL 00 John Benjamins Publishing Company Marketing Department / Karin Plijnaar, Pieter Lamers onix@benjamins.nl 04 01 00 20080206 C 2008 John Benjamins Publishing Company D 2008 John Benjamins Publishing Company 02 WORLD 13 15 9789027231048 WORLD 09 01 JB 3 John Benjamins e-Platform 03 https://jbe-platform.com 29 https://jbe-platform.com/content/books/9789027291356 21 01 00 Unqualified price 02 110.00 EUR 01 00 Unqualified price 02 92.00 GBP GB 01 00 Unqualified price 02 165.00 USD