Larger language communities often have simpler grammar

Researchers found that cultural complexity often tends to increase in particular population groups.

If you have studied Finnish, Czechoslovakia or Baxcean (in the West of Palestine, Northeast Spain, Southwest France), . you will find their grammar more complicated than English.

Recently, a study has shown: Why many people who speak English and Mandarin are often simple grammar.

A group of scientists at Cornell University in Ithaca (USA) has developed a computer model that simulates the use of a language in the population and its evolutionary trend over time.

The less spoken languages ​​often have more complex grammar.(Photo: Yuen Yiu / CC By-SA 2.0).

The results show that: For large language populations, simple elements such as vocabulary tend to increase ; while complex elements such as grammar often decrease. The reason for this is that individuals in large communities often interact with others but are less likely to meet directly. It is this contact, repeated, that helps individuals learn difficult concepts like grammar.

In the last week, the results were published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Royal Society B).

The finding is also consistent with the fact that languages ​​like English and Mandarin often have a relatively large vocabulary.

Interestingly, this trend is often reversed in language communities with fewer people, because seemingly simple factors are difficult to develop. This also helps explain the emergence of complex cultural phenomena in these minority communities - like the birth of the Bebop in the mid-1940s in New York jazz.

Morten Christiansen, a psychologist and co-author of the study, said: "This does not mean all cultures, but only the main elements will become simpler over time. ".

The study also implies that: Preserving complex cultural traditions requires a lot of conscious efforts, especially in a globalized world today. Christiansen suggests: "People can organize themselves into small communities to counter the risk of simplification."