Abstract
One of the main characteristics of human languages is that they are subject to fundamental changes over time. However, because of the long transitional periods involved, the internal dynamics of such changes are typically inaccessible. Here, we present a new approach to examining language change via its connection to language comprehension. By means of an EEG experiment on Icelandic, a prominent current example of a language in transition, we show that the neurophysiological responses of native speakers already reflect projected changes that are not yet apparent in their overt behavior. Neurocognitive measures thus offer a means of predicting, rather than only retracing, language change.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 3013 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Volume | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Open Access - Access Right Statement
© 2020 Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Roehm, Mailhammer and Schlesewsky. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in (accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.Keywords
- comprehension
- language acquisition
- language and languages