Project description
Tracing language history through morphosyntax
Reconstructing language history using morphosyntactic properties presents a major challenge. These features evolve slowly and can trace deep genealogical relationships, but they may also change suddenly through borrowing or language contact. Furthermore, grammars can develop similar traits independently of historical or geographical connections, reflecting universal linguistic trends. This complexity makes it difficult to use morphosyntactic data to accurately map language evolution. The ERC-funded PhylProGramm project aims to tackle this issue by pioneering computational methods to evaluate these features in combination with linguistic evaluation. By identifying which elements are stable, prone to transfer, or reflect universal patterns at the scales of microvariation, mesovariation, and macrovariation, the project seeks to offer new insights into the nature and the dynamics of language change.
Objective
Morphosyntactic properties have long been considered a great challenge for the reconstruction of language history. On the one hand, they can establish deep genealogical relationships because they remain stable for millennia and evolve slowly in time, serving as markers for families. On the other hand, they may emerge abruptly as a result of borrowing from one language to the other or language restructuring under contact. At the same time, grammars develop common properties independently of history and geography, reflecting universal trends. Recent findings have shown that morphosyntactic variability significantly correlates with genetic variability, supporting the potential of morphosyntax to unravel both genetic and cultural evolutionary history. Yet the first attempts to reconstruct phylogenetic trees based on morphosyntactic data have been limited in terms of precision and resolution, and there are major disagreements on the genealogical stability and diffusability of morphosyntactic features. PhylProGramm aims to break new ground in linguistics by pioneering a new way to evaluate morphosyntax in terms of the historical information it contains, using phylogenetic inference methods as a tool. Based on preliminary results which have shown that trees constructed from morphosyntactic data reflect historical and geographical relationships, we devise novel computational methods that allow us to determine, in combination with rigorous linguistic evaluation, which features are conservative, prone to transfers/borrowings or reflect universal patterns at the scales of micro-variation, meso-variation and macro-variation. The investigation will lead us to formulate and explain the profile of specific units, their interactions, their organization into networks and/or hierarchies associated with different scales of variation and their representation in grammar, providing a unique window into the dynamics and typology of language change and variation.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2022-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
700 13 IRAKLEIO
Greece
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.