Grammar’s evolution linked to biology, says study

If it’s too much effort for your brain to cope with difficult case constructions as grammar evolves, it simplifies them over time, according to a new study.

Grammar continues to reorganize itself in the world’s languages, say Swiss researchers who use the omission of case endings as Latin changes to Italian as a prime example.

As Sanskrit transitioned to Hindi, the case system got a complete makeover, giving way to entirely new grammatical cases.

The research team conducted a statistical analysis of the case systems of over 600 languages and noted the changes that occurred as time passed.

more…

CrazyNeutrino said:

Grammar’s evolution linked to biology, says study

If it’s too much effort for your brain to cope with difficult case constructions as grammar evolves, it simplifies them over time, according to a new study.

Grammar continues to reorganize itself in the world’s languages, say Swiss researchers who use the omission of case endings as Latin changes to Italian as a prime example.

As Sanskrit transitioned to Hindi, the case system got a complete makeover, giving way to entirely new grammatical cases.

The research team conducted a statistical analysis of the case systems of over 600 languages and noted the changes that occurred as time passed.

more…

I’m beginning to see Transition in a new light.

Mrs P ( who used to work in audiology) tells of a “school” in south america where they put deaf kids and didn’t bother to teach them anything. The kids developed their own sign language and it included all the normal grammar of any other language, singulars, plurals, past present future tenses, nominative, accusative, the lot apparently without any outside help.

pommiejohn said:

The kids developed their own sign language and it included all the normal grammar of any other language, singulars, plurals, past present future tenses, nominative, accusative, the lot apparently without any outside help.

Chomsky, universalism, et al.

huey said:

pommiejohn said:

The kids developed their own sign language and it included all the normal grammar of any other language, singulars, plurals, past present future tenses, nominative, accusative, the lot apparently without any outside help.

Chomsky, universalism, et al.

Yep.

I would say that classical Latin would be virtually useless if you were a roman shouting over the struggling hordes, clashing of swords, fire smoke, blare of trumpets and shrieks of agony and then most likely being corrected some grammar pedant