Assuming no prior grammatical knowledge, Understanding Syntax explains and illustrates
the major concepts, categories and terminology involved in the study of cross-linguistic …

Of all the things we do and say, most will never be repeated or reproduced. Once in a while,
however, an idea or a practice generates a chain of transmission that covers more distance …

The amount of available digital data for the languages of the world is constantly increasing.
Unfortunately, most of the digital data are provided in a large variety of formats and therefore …

The 'social complexity hypothesis' for communication posits that groups with complex social
systems require more complex communicative systems to regulate interactions and relations …

A masterpiece of linguistics scholarship, at once erudite and entertaining, confronts the
thorny question of how—and whether—culture shapes language and language, culture …

From emails to social media, from instant messaging to political memes, the way we produce
and transmit culture is radically changing. Understanding the consequences of the massive …

In this book John A. Hawkins argues that major patterns of variation across languages are
structured by general principles of efficiency in language use and communication. Evidence …

It is usually assumed that modern language is a recent phenomenon, coinciding with the
emergence of modern humans themselves. Many assume as well that this is the result of a …

Emergent communication aims for a better understanding of human language evolution and
building more efficient representations. We posit that reaching these goals will require …

This is the first full study of how people refer to entities in natural discourse. It contributes to
the understanding of both linguistic diversity and the cognitive underpinnings of language …