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Language Change as a Complex Adaptive System: An Interaction between Language Evolution and the Brain in the History of English

Research Project

Project/Area Number 15K02623
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Research Field English linguistics
Research InstitutionTsurumi University (2016-2018)
Tsurumi Junior College (2015)

Principal Investigator

Ogura Mieko  鶴見大学, 名誉教授, 名誉教授 (60074291)

Project Period (FY) 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Keywords言語変化 / 言語進化 / 複雑適応体系 / 脳 / 文法化 / 同音異義語 / 多義語 / small-world network / 時制 / 相 / 名詞 / 動詞
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) in 2005-2014, I examined mechanisms of lexical diffusion in phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and lexicon in the history of English from a perspective of complex adaptive systems, including selection, self-organization, scaling of parameters, robustness and networks of connections. In the present study I further discussed the interaction between language evolution and the brain from the following perspective: (1) grammaticalization, especially the evolution of tense and aspect as linguistic manifestations of domain-general human cognitive abilities, (2) the impact of the polysemous words on a historically robust small-world network, and the neural substrates of polysemous words, (3) ambiguity resolution and the evolution of homophones and the neural bases of homophones, based on a large amount of data and using near-infrared spectroscopy.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では英語の歴史的発達と脳の機能の相関関係を探り、言語が変化すれば脳の機能も変化することが明らかとなった。実験の結果得られた日本語と英語の脳の活性化の違いは英語を第二外国語として習得する際にも多いに役立つ。

Report

(5 results)
  • 2018 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2017 Research-status Report
  • 2016 Research-status Report
  • 2015 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (8 results)

All 2020 2019 2018 2017 2015

All Journal Article (3 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results,  Peer Reviewed: 3 results,  Open Access: 1 results) Presentation (4 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 3 results,  Invited: 1 results) Book (1 results)

  • [Journal Article] Evolution of Homophones and Syntactic Categories Noun and Verb2018

    • Author(s)
      Mieko Ogura & William S-Y. Wang
    • Journal Title

      The Evoluiton of Language

      Volume: 12 Pages: 355-363

    • DOI

      10.12775/3991-1.086

    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Journal Article] Review of A Dialogue on Sound Change between William Labov and William S-Y. Wang (Peking University Press, 2014)2015

    • Author(s)
      Mieko Ogura
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Chinese Linguistics

      Volume: 43:1 Pages: 232-248

    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Journal Article] Comment on Geoffrey Sampson, "Chinese Phonological Enigma"2015

    • Author(s)
      Mieko Ogura
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Chinese Linguistics

      Volume: 43:2 Pages: 703-709

    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Presentation] Neural Substrates of Homophones and Syntactic Categories: An Evolutionary Perspective2019

    • Author(s)
      Mieko Ogura
    • Organizer
      19th HFSP Awardees Meeting
    • Related Report
      2018 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Evolution of Homophones and Syntactic Categories Noun and Verb2018

    • Author(s)
      Mieko Ogura
    • Organizer
      The 12th International Conference on the Evolution of Language
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Ambiguity Resolution and Evolution of Homophones2018

    • Author(s)
      Mieko Ogura
    • Organizer
      The 20th International Conference on English Historical Linguistics
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] 英語音韻変化におけるLexical Diffusion とNeogrammarian Regularity2017

    • Author(s)
      小倉美恵子
    • Organizer
      近代英語協会
    • Place of Presentation
      青山学院大学(東京都渋谷区)
    • Year and Date
      2017-06-24
    • Related Report
      2016 Research-status Report
    • Invited
  • [Book] Language Evolution as a Complex Adaptive Syatem: Multi-disciplinary Approach to the History of English2020

    • Author(s)
      Mieko Ogura
    • Total Pages
      300
    • Publisher
      Oxford University Press
    • Related Report
      2018 Annual Research Report

URL: 

Published: 2015-04-16   Modified: 2020-03-30  

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