Call: Language Complexity as an Evolving Variable

[David Gil]

First Call for Abstracts

Workshop on
LANGUAGE COMPLEXITY AS AN EVOLVING VARIABLE

12-13 April 2007
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Leipzig, Germany

***

There has been a widespread assumption that all human languages, past
and present, are about equally complex (or are incommensurable in
complexity), and that adult language users do not vary significantly in
the complexity of their internalized language models. This idea survived
the transition from 1950s' descriptive linguistics to the subsequent
generative paradigm unscathed. Recently, many scholars have begun to
question various aspects of this assumption, and to provide evidence
against it. Arguably, some languages are more complex than others, and
some individuals internalize more complex idiolects than others.

This workshop aims to provide a forum where these sceptical strands can
be drawn together and tested by the research community. Invited speakers
include:

• Ngoni Chipere, Barbados ("Understanding Complex Sentences")
• Östen Dahl, Stockholm ("Growth and Maintenance of Linguistic Complexity")
• Guy Deutscher, Leiden ("Syntactic Change in Akkadian")
• Dan Everett, Illinois ("Cultural Constraints on Grammar and Cognition
in Pirahã")
• John Hawkins, Cambridge ("Efficiency and Complexity in Grammars")
• John McWhorter, New York ("Defining Creole")

***

The workshop welcomes offers of papers either challenging or defending
any aspect of the assumption of equal linguistic complexity. Abstracts
for 30-minute oral presentations should be submitted in electronic form
(preferably pdf, but MsWord also acceptable) to David Gil at the
following address:

gil at eva.mpg.de

Deadline for submission of abstracts: 15 December 2006

Decisions regarding acceptance/rejection of abstracts will be announced
on or before 15 January 2007.

***

Sponsor:

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig

Organizers:

Geoffrey Sampson (Sussex)
David Gil (Leipzig)

***

Further information: http://www.eva.mpg.de/~gil/complexity
Inquiries: gil at eva.mpg.de


-- 
David Gil

Department of Linguistics
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany

Telephone: 49-341-3550321
Fax: 49-341-3550119
Email: gil at eva.mpg.de
Webpage:  http://www.eva.mpg.de/~gil/