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SUMMARY:When do languages use the same word for different meanings? The Go
 ldilocks Principle that shapes the lexicon - Gemma Boleda (Universitat Pom
 peu Fabra)
DTSTART:20220204T120000Z
DTEND:20220204T130000Z
UID:TALK169745@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Michael Schlichtkrull
DESCRIPTION:Lexical ambiguity is pervasive in language\, and often systema
 tic. For instance\, the Spanish word "dedo" refers to both a toe and a fin
 ger\, that is\, these two meanings colexify in Spanish\; and they do so as
  well in over one hundred other languages. Previous work shows that relate
 d meanings are more likely to colexify. This is attributed to cognitive pr
 essure towards simplicity in language\, as it makes lexicons easier to lea
 rn and use. The present study examines the interplay between this pressure
  and the competing pressure for languages to support accurate information 
 transfer. We hypothesize that colexification follows a Goldilocks principl
 e that balances the two pressures: meanings are more likely to attach to t
 he same word when they are related to an optimal degree ---neither too muc
 h\, nor too little. We find support for this principle in data from over 1
 200 languages and 1400 meanings. Our results thus suggest that universal f
 orces shape the lexicons of natural languages.\n\nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps
 ://cl-cam-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/97811932306?pwd=NjRxVC9oTWtFM1MwckNOWDhjeHVodz09
 \n\nMeeting ID: 978 1193 2306 Passcode: 657621
LOCATION:Virtual (Zoom)
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