Predicting word order universals

Paola Merlo

doi:10.15398/jlm.v3i2.112

Predicting word order universals

Authors

Paola Merlo University of Geneva

Keywords:

frequency, word order universals, Greenberg’s Universal 20, computational modelling, probabilistic models, Naive Bayes

Abstract

This paper shows a computational learning paradigm to compare and
test theories about language universals. Its main contribution lies in
the illustration of the encoding and comparison of theories about typological
universals to measure the generalisation ability of these theories.
In so doing, this method uncovers hidden dependencies between
theoretical dimensions and primitives that were considered independent
and independently motivated.