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Case-marking systems evolve to be easy to learn and process

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Maggie Tallerman

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Abstract

Christiansen & Chater (C&C) suggest that language is itself an evolutionary system, and that natural languages "evolve" to be easy to learn and process. The tight economy of the world's case-marking systems lends support to this hypothesis. Only two major case systems occur, cross-linguistically, and noun phrases are seldom overtly case-marked wherever zero-marking would be functionally practical. © 2008 Cambridge University Press.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Tallerman M

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Year: 2008

Volume: 31

Issue: 5

Pages: 534-535

Date deposited: 17/09/2010

ISSN (print): 0140-525X

ISSN (electronic): 1469-1825

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X08005256

DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X08005256

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