The cognitive basis for the correlation between word order and the position of syntactic markers

HIROSHI NAGATA

doi:10.4992/psycholres1954.23.175

HIROSHI NAGATA

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Keywords: correlation, word order, preposition, postposition, natural serialization, universal, cognitive load, artificial linguistic system

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1981 Volume 23 Issue 4 Pages 175-183

DOI https://doi.org/10.4992/psycholres1954.23.175

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Published: March 20, 1982 Received: January 12, 1981 Available on J-STAGE: February 24, 2009 Accepted: September 12, 1981 Advance online publication: - Revised: -
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Date of correction: February 24, 2009 Reason for correction: - Correction: AFFILIATION Details: [in Japanese]

Date of correction: February 24, 2009 Reason for correction: - Correction: KEYWORD Details: Wrong : correlation, word order, preposition, preposition, natural serialization, universal, cognitive load, artificial linguistic system
Right : correlation, word order, preposition, postposition, natural serialization, universal, cognitive load, artificial linguistic system

Date of correction: February 24, 2009 Reason for correction: - Correction: CITATION Details: Wrong : Bever, T. G., & Langendoen, D. T. 1971 A dynamic model of the evolution of languages. Linguistic Inquiry, 2, 433-463.
Clark, H. H., & Clark, E. V. 1977 Psychology and language: An introduction of psycholinguistics. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Greenberg, J. H. 1963 Some universals of grammar with particular reference to the order of meaningful elements. In J. H. Greenberg (Ed.), Universals of language. Cambridge: MIT Press. Pp. 73-113.
Hawkins, J. A. 1976 Word order change in relation to the logical structure of linguistic universals. Unpublished paper, Department of Linguistics, University of California, Los Angeles. Cited by D. I. Slobin, Psycholinguistics. 2nd ed. Scott, Foresman and Company, 1979. p. 67.
Kuno, S. 1974 The position of relative clauses and conjunctions. Linguistic Inquiry, 5, 117-136.
Lehman, W. P. 1973 A structural principle of language and its implications. Language, 49, 47-66.
Nagata, H. 1981 Effectiveness of word order and grammatical markers as syntactic indicators of semantic relations. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 10, 471-486.
Slobin, D. I. 1979 Psycholinguistics. 2nd ed. Glenview: Scott, Foresman and Company.
Venneman, T. 1974 Topics, subjects, and word order: From SXV to SVX via TUX. In J. M. Anderson & C. Jones (Eds.), Historical linguistics I: Syntax, morphology, internal and comparative reconstruction. Amsterdam: North-Holland Publishing. Pp. 339-376.
Venneman, T. 1975 An explanation of drift. In C. N. Li (Ed.), Word order and word order change. Austin: University of Texas Press. Pp. 269-305.

Right : Bever, T. G., & Langendoen, D. T. 1971 A dynamic model of the evolution of languages. Linguistic Inquiry, 2, 433-463.
Clark, H. H., & Clark, E. V. 1977 Psychology and language: An introduction of psycholinguistics. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Greenberg, J. H. 1963 Some universals of grammar with particular reference to the order of meaningful elements. In J. H. Greenberg (Ed.), Universals of language. Cambridge: MIT Press. Pp.73-113.
Hawkins, J. A. 1976 Word order change in relation to the logical structure of linguistic universals. Unpublished paper, Department of Linguistics, University of California, Los Angeles. Cited by D. I. Slobin, Psycholinguistics. 2nd ed. Scott, Foresman and Company, 1979. p.67.
Kuno, S. 1974 The position of relative clauses and conjunctions. Linguistic Inquiry, 5, 117-136.
Lehman, W. P. 1973 A structural principle of language and its implications. Language, 49, 47-66.
Nagata, H. 1981 Effectiveness of word order and grammatical markers as syntactic indicators of semantic relations. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 10, 471-486.
Slobin, D. I. 1979 Psycholinguistics. 2nd ed. Glenview: Scott, Foresman and Company.
Venneman, T. 1974 Topics, subjects, and word order: From SXV to SVX via TUX. In J. M. Anderson & C. Jones (Eds.), Historical linguistics I: Syntax, morphology, internal and comparative reconstruction. Amsterdam: North-Holland Publishing. Pp.339-376.
Venneman, T. 1975 An explanation of drift. In C. N. Li (Ed.), Word order and word order change. Austin: University of Texas Press. Pp.269-305.

Date of correction: February 24, 2009 Reason for correction: - Correction: PDF FILE Details: -

Date of correction: February 24, 2009 Reason for correction: - Correction: CITATION Details: Wrong : Bever, T. G., & Langendoen, D. T. 1971 A dynamic model of the evolution of languages. Linguistic Inquiry, 2, 433-463.
Clark, H. H., & Clark, E. V. 1977 Psychology and language: An introduction of psycholinguistics. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Greenberg, J. H. 1963 Some universals of grammar with particular reference to the order of meaningful elements. In J. H. Greenberg (Ed.), Universals of language. Cambridge: MIT Press. Pp.73-113.
Hawkins, J. A. 1976 Word order change in relation to the logical structure of linguistic universals. Unpublished paper, Department of Linguistics, University of California, Los Angeles. Cited by D. I. Slobin, Psycholinguistics. 2nd ed. Scott, Foresman and Company, 1979. p.67.
Kuno, S. 1974 The position of relative clauses and conjunctions. Linguistic Inquiry, 5, 117-136.
Lehman, W. P. 1973 A structural principle of language and its implications. Language, 49, 47-66.
Nagata, H. 1981 Effectiveness of word order and grammatical markers as syntactic indicators of semantic relations. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 10, 471-486.
Slobin, D. I. 1979 Psycholinguistics. 2nd ed. Glenview: Scott, Foresman and Company.
Venneman, T. 1974 Topics, subjects, and word order: From SXV to SVX via TUX. In J. M. Anderson & C. Jones (Eds.), Historical linguistics I: Syntax, morphology, internal and comparative reconstruction. Amsterdam: North-Holland Publishing. Pp.339-376.
Venneman, T. 1975 An explanation of drift. In C. N. Li (Ed.), Word order and word order change. Austin: University of Texas Press. Pp.269-305.

Right : Bever, T. G., & Langendoen, D. T. 1971 A dynamic model of the evolution of languages. Linguistic Inquiry, 2, 433-463.
Clark, H. H., & Clark, E. V. 1977 Psychology and language: An introduction of psycholinguistics. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Greenberg, J. H. 1963 Some universals of grammar with particular reference to the order of meaningful elements. In J. H. Greenberg (Ed.), Universals of language. Cambridge: MIT Press. Pp.73-113.
Hawkins, J. A. 1976 Word order change in relation to the logical structure of linguistic universals. Unpublished paper, Department of Linguistics, University of California, Los Angeles. Cited by D. I. Slobin, Psycholinguistics. 2nd ed. Scott, Foresman and Company, 1979. p.67.
Kuno, S. 1974 The position of relative clauses and conjunctions. Linguistic Inquiry, 5, 117-136.
Lehman, W. P.1973 A structural principle of language and its implications. Language, 49, 47-66.
Nagata, H. 1981 Effectiveness of word order and grammatical markers as syntactic indicators of semantic relations. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 10, 471-486.
Slobin, D. I. 1979 Psycholinguistics. 2nd ed. Glenview: Scott, Foresman and Company.
Venneman, T. 1974 Topics, subjects, and word order: From SXV to SVX via TUX. In J. M. Anderson & C. Jones (Eds.), Historical linguistics I: Syntax, morphology, internal and comparative reconstruction. Amsterdam: North-Holland Publishing. Pp.339-376.
Venneman, T. 1975 An explanation of drift. In C. N. Li (Ed.), Word order and word order change. Austin: University of Texas Press. Pp.269-305.

Abstract

The correlation between word order and pre- and postpositional markers (Greenberg, 1963) was examined using a VX (or VSO) type of language with prepositional markers (VX-Pre), a VX with postpositional markers (VX-Post), and a third condition (Mixed) in which word order and the position of markers were randomly placed. The response variable was the time needed to describe reference situations presented. The results showed that the description time increased from VX-Pre through VX-Post to Mixed, demonstrating that less cognitive load was imposed on subjects in VX-Pre than on subjects in VX-Post, and this in turn than on subjects in Mixed. The results were discussed in terms of the principle of natural serialization (Venneman, 1974, 1975).

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