Linguistic complexity in the Central Andes

Abstract

Abstract Linguistic complexity has been found to correlate with sociolinguistic factors such as isolation, and with geographical factors such as altitude, though such correlations are not without problems. Here it is asked whether these or other factors hold for South America and in particular the Central Andes, and what light the complexity levels can shed light on the linguistic prehistory and earliest settlement of the Andean highlands. Types of complexity surveyed are phonological enumerative complexity, morphological enumerative complexity, and morphological non-transparency (canonical complexity). Correlations are not strong, but they do exist, and taken together with archeological and ethnographic information they can be used to hypothesize which languages descend from earlier or later entrants to the highlands.

Cite this

Johanna Nichols (2024). Linguistic complexity in the Central Andes. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198849926.003.0022

@article{johanna2024linguistic,
  title  = {Linguistic complexity in the Central Andes},
  author = {Nichols, Johanna},
  year   = {2024},
  doi    = {10.1093/oso/9780198849926.003.0022}
}

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