Accounting for the relationship between lexical prevalence and acquisition with Bayesian networks and population dynamics
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Lexical dispersion and acquisition are evidently linked to each other. In one direction, the acquisition of a word is promoted by it being used frequently and in diverse contexts. Conversely, words that are acquired early might have higher chances of being produced frequently and diversely. In this study, we analyze various measures of lexical dispersion and assess the extent to which they are linked to age of acquisition by means of a Bayesian network model. We find that lexical prevalence, that is, the fraction of individuals knowing a word, is most closely linked to acquisition and argue that this can be partially explained by the population dynamics of lexical spread. We also highlight related cognitive mechanisms in language acquisition.
Source: Linguistics Vanguard
Authors: Andreas Baumann, Katharina Sekanina
Institution: University of Vienna
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,107
Funder: Universität Wien
OpenAlex ID: W4309845352