34.3359, Confs: Diachronic dynamics and Typology of Similarity and Identity Avoidance

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-34-3359. Thu Nov 09 2023. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 34.3359, Confs: Diachronic dynamics and Typology  of Similarity and Identity Avoidance

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Date: 08-Nov-2023
From: Erika Just [just.erika at outlook.com]
Subject: Diachronic dynamics and Typology  of Similarity and Identity Avoidance


Diachronic dynamics and Typology  of Similarity and Identity Avoidance

Date: 08-Sep-2024 - 14-Sep-2024
Location: Poznan, Poland
Contact: Erika Just
Contact Email: just.erika at outlook.com
Meeting URL: https://icl2024poznan.pl/?id=2

Linguistic Field(s): Typology
Subject Language(s): English (eng)

Meeting Description:

Languages often exhibit the avoidance of identity, or of similarity to
some extent. Similarity and identity avoidance (SIA) can affect units
on various linguistic levels, from phonetics  to semantics.
Different mechanisms have been proposed to be at the heart of SIA: the
motor control system has been held accountable for the dispreference
of adjacent identical syllables. Haplology has been explained as a
strategy for maintaining isomorphism between syllables and morphemes,
for ease of processing. Lexical similarity avoidance, on the other
hand, has been associated with working memory and accessibility.
However, others see SIA through the lens of communicative efficiency,
and explain it by the idea that similarity/identity on all levels can
interfere with production and perception.
Previous research has primarily focused on certain languages and
families, often within specific linguistic theories. Consequently,
there are claims about universal tendencies underlying this
phenomenon, which makes it worthwhile to explore it in a broader
linguistic context. Besides, the diachronic dimension is often
missing. This workshop aims to discuss patterns and strategies
employed by languages to avoid or resolve similarity and identity, in
order to get to a better understanding of its causes. It intends to
bring together perspectives from different subfields, ranging from
typology to diachrony and cognition.

We invite abstracts for oral presentations focusing on the following
topics:

Diachrony: How do languages employ strategies to avoid or resolve
identity or similarity in diachrony? How does similarity avoidance
relate to assimilation phenomena?

Phonetic Patterns: How do the phonetic properties of sounds, such as
place and manner of articulation, influence SIA in adjacent elements
within speech? What acoustic and auditory cues are involved in
phonetic processes that facilitate or hinder SIA?

Cross-Linguistic Variation: Do languages show variable sensitivity to
different kinds of similarity? Are there preferences in the positions
where avoidance or resolution occurs, and do these preferences vary
across structural levels?

Unit Size: Do languages exhibit restrictions on the size of linguistic
units affected by similarity avoidance? For instance, is the
occurrence of dissimilation strategies related to the  syllable count
within larger units like feet or verbs?

Mechanisms and biases: What cognitive and motor planning factors
contribute to this phenomenon on different linguistic levels? Is there
more systematic and cognition-based evidence that identity avoidance
improves efficiency?

Experimental Approaches: What kind of experimental evidence or
approach is helpful investigating SIA? Can we experimentally
demonstrate a preference against similarity or identity in language
structures?

Convenors: Erika Just, Laura C. Dees, Catalina Torres, Thomas Huber
(University of Zurich)



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