Emergence of Hierarchy in Fluid Construction Grammar

One of the key properties of (natural) languages is that they are hierarchical. Phrases combine into larger phrases eventually covering complete sentences. The semantics of each phrase combine to form the complex meaning of the whole. A key question in explaining the origins and evolution of language is therefore how such hierarchical structures may originate and spread in a population. This paper reports on breakthrough experiments in which unbounded hierarchical structure can emerge as a side-effect of repair strategies in a population of agents.

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