Language Dynamics in Network

语言的变化是无处不在的，它主要是由我们遇到的输入驱动的。这方面的一个关键来源是我们与家人、朋友和同事的对话。语言中发生的许多变化开始于青少年和年轻人。随着年轻人与同龄人的互动，他们的语言逐渐包含了与老一代人不同的单词、短语和结构。其中一些变化的生命周期很短（你最近听说过“groovy”吗？），但也有一些会影响整个语言。研究语言变化表明，语言进化是一种网络现象。本项目将研究语言变化如何通过最初由两类说话者组成的网络进行。每一类都有自己的语言特征，例如说话者发出特定元音的频率。通过与其他演讲者的互动，这些特征可以改变。这就引出了一系列有趣的问题，包括网络拓扑结构如何影响语言变化，以及不规则词（如“went”）如何在其他词规则化的同时持续存在。在更广泛的数学/EPSRC术语中，该项目关注网络动态和非平衡统计。

Language change is ubiquitous, and it is primarily driven by the input that we encounter. A key source for this is conversations that we have with e.g. family, friends and colleagues. Many of the changes that occur in language begin with teens and young adults. As young people interact with others their own age, their language grows to include words, phrases, and constructions that are different from those of the older generation. Some of these changes have a short life span (have you heard 'groovy' lately?), but others stick around to affect the language as a whole. Studying language change makes it apparent that language evolution is a network phenomenon.This project will investigate how language change progresses through networks that initially consist of two classes of speakers. Each class possesses their own language characteristics such as the frequencies with which speakers produce certain vowels. Through interactions with other speakers, these characteristics can change. This leads to a host of intriguing questions including how the network topology impacts on language change or how irregular words (such as 'went') persist while others regularise.In broader maths/EPSRC terms, the project is concerned with network dynamics and non-equilibrium statistics.