Project description
Reconstructing early languages through linguistic patterns
Our understanding of early European languages is limited, as genetics cannot reveal much about the languages spoken. Without written records, language can seem ephemeral. However, language change always leaves behind residual forms that often exhibit stable geographical patterns and resist change, though these patterns are not well studied. The ERC-funded LiTra project investigates the potential of these linguistic patterns to reconstruct earlier linguistic configurations. It focuses on minority variants in historical text corpora to understand the interactions between linguistic and cultural groups in early England by combining philological expertise with deep learning technology for corpus annotation. The project aims to illuminate local and regional identities through the study of linguistic traces, archaeology, and genetics.
Objective
We know remarkably little about the early history that formed the known European languages and cultures. While advances in genetics have led to new debates about population histories, they cannot tell us about the languages spoken. In the absence of written records, language appears ephemeral: changes through time seemingly erase all traces of earlier speech, leaving only abstract ‘proto-languages’ to be reconstructed.
Such erasures are not, however, complete, as language change always leaves behind a tail of residual forms. Very little research has dealt with the low-frequency variation that forms part of all natural language, even though it is known that residual forms are often resistant to change and may show stable geographical patterns. This project explores the potential of such patterns to provide linguistic ‘fingerprints’ allowing the reconstruction of much earlier linguistic configurations. It also addresses the general question of low-frequency variation as a carrier of meaning: how can the systematic study of minor variants refine current views of linguistic variation and change?
We will study the spread and interactions of linguistic and cultural groups in early England − Celtic, Scandinavian and West Germanic − through geographically coherent patterns of minority variants (‘micro-patterns’) in a set of historical, purpose-built text corpora. Such an approach has not been attempted before, and is made possible by the combination of philological expertise and the development of corpus annotation methods based on deep learning technology. The project is expected to lead to a breakthrough in the study of linguistic variation, where small-scale patterning has largely been ignored. Linguistic traces, combined with the findings of archaeology and genetics, are expected to form a powerful means of reconstructing the past, throwing light on past linguistic areas and interactions as well as on the maintenance of local and regional identities.
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.
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.
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
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.
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
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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-2023-ADG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
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.
4021 Stavanger
Norway
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.