Abstract
Lewis Carroll's English word game Doublets is represented as a system of networks with each node being an English word and each connectivity edge confirming that its two ending words are equal in letter length, but different by exactly one letter. We show that this system, which we call the Doublets net, constitutes a complex body of linguistic knowledge concerning English word structure that has computable multiscale features. Distributed morphological, phonological and orthographic constraints and the language's local redundancy are seen at the node level. Phonological communities are seen at the network level. And a balancing act between the language's global efficiency and redundancy is seen at the system level. We develop a new measure of intrinsic node-to-node distance and a computational algorithm, called community geometry, which reveal the implicit multiscale structure within binary networks. Because the Doublets net is a modular complex cognitive system, the community geometry and computable multi-scale structural information may provide a foundation for understanding computational learning in many systems whose network structure has yet to be fully analyzed.
Highlights
From an evolutionary perspective, language may be the most interesting evolutionary trait of the human species and of human cultures [1]
The most basic levels in the grammar of a language are phonology, which is concerned with how words and their component pieces may be composed from units of sound, morphology, which has to do with how words are built out of the more elementary units known as morphemes, and syntax, which has to do with how sentences are built out of words
While we focus here on questions of word structure and their relationships to computed communities, we anticipate that this intrinsic node-to-node distance concept and the community geometry developments could facilitate a better understanding of other complex systems, for which more than a game puzzle is at issue
Summary
Language may be the most interesting evolutionary trait of the human species and of human cultures [1]. Since the key ingredient in a recipe for understanding networks is the inter-relational connectivity among all its nodes, a computational analysis of the structural relationships between the spellings of English words in the corpus examined allows key aspects of the morphological and phonological systems that condition them to become visible.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
