Brighton Henry, Kirby Simon
Language Evolution and Computation Research Unit, School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Artif Life. 2006 Spring;12(2):229-42. doi: 10.1162/106454606776073323.
We show how cultural selection for learnability during the process of linguistic evolution can be visualized using a simple iterated learning model. Computational models of linguistic evolution typically focus on the nature of, and conditions for, stable states. We take a novel approach and focus on understanding the process of linguistic evolution itself. What kind of evolutionary system is this process? Using visualization techniques, we explore the nature of replicators in linguistic evolution, and argue that replicators correspond to local regions of regularity in the mapping between meaning and signals. Based on this argument, we draw parallels between phenomena observed in the model and linguistic phenomena observed across languages. We then go on to identify issues of replication and selection as key points of divergence in the parallels between the processes of linguistic evolution and biological evolution.
我们展示了如何使用一个简单的迭代学习模型来可视化语言进化过程中对可学习性的文化选择。语言进化的计算模型通常关注稳定状态的性质和条件。我们采用了一种新颖的方法，专注于理解语言进化过程本身。这个过程是一种什么样的进化系统？通过可视化技术，我们探索了语言进化中复制因子的本质，并认为复制因子对应于意义与信号映射中规则性的局部区域。基于这一论点，我们将模型中观察到的现象与跨语言观察到的语言现象进行了类比。然后，我们继续将复制和选择问题确定为语言进化过程与生物进化过程之间类比的关键分歧点。
