The hidden symmetry of language | Jennifer Culbertson

The hidden symmetry of language | Jennifer Culbertson | TEDxUniversityofEdinburgh

Рет қаралды 11,050

8 жыл бұрын

Is language still a unifying force of human connection? Despite the huge differences between languages spoken around the world, Jennifer Culbertson thinks that the answer is yes. Using a simple example, she’ll explain why.
This talk was delivered at Edinburgh's iconic Central Hall on Thursday, February 18th 2016 and was a part of series of talks given at the TEDxUniversityofEdinburgh 2016 Conference.
Jennifer Culbertson is currently a Chancellor's Fellow in the Language Evolution and Computation research group at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on understanding how languages are shaped by learning and use. She teaches both children and adults miniature artificial languages and creates computational models of their behaviour.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

Пікірлер: 12

@GiuseppeCunha 4 жыл бұрын

As a linguist, I must say this is probably the best linguistics-related TED talk I’ve seen. Much better than other more popular ones.

@grzegorzmajcher9237 Жыл бұрын

Only most intelligent people can convey interesting aspects of language in such a simple way.

@ZAHIDHASAN-qx3mt 4 жыл бұрын

Been studying Niche Construction and Evolutionary Psychology for a while. This TedTalk helped me a lot understanding how those ideas work in languages.

@simonearantesaraujosucupir473 4 жыл бұрын

Genius👏👏loved it

@fraukehell7378 6 жыл бұрын

This was really interesting and well presented! Thanks for this.

@safayassin2189 2 жыл бұрын

The Arabic example is not accurate, the number in Arabic is expressed by the dual form of the word itself. هذان الوعاءان الأزرقان (those.dual vases.dual. blue.dual*) So it is more like Spanish, except that the number is expressed in a different way. we can put the words in the order she indicated, but then it would rather mean: two of those blue vases. اثنان من الأوعية الزرقاء هذه (two of vases blue those)

@MrEmBerna 2 жыл бұрын

شكرا جزيلان يا يسّين! How would you say Those five blue vases? And what about Those four blue vases? You do not see it in the final result, but I struggled a lot to write down this comment. Appartently KZfaq comments feel unconfortable with a switching from the Arabic alphabet to the Latin one LOL

@safayassin2189 2 жыл бұрын

@@MrEmBerna هذه الأوعية الخمسة الزرقاء this (singular.female) vases(plural) five blue we use the singular form of "those" when we have a plural of a inanimate/non human object.

@MrEmBerna 2 жыл бұрын

@@safayassin2189 Thank you very much and sorry for the long reply! I knew that the Arabic language uses the feminine singular with inanimate objects. But what if we had a human being? Would the difference be only morfological or syntactical as well?

@ChrisDragotta 8 жыл бұрын

Cute!

@sergeyleshchinskii8860 5 жыл бұрын

Seemed like she was about to pass out or cry.

@MrEmBerna 2 жыл бұрын

I totally feel her, I behave similarly when you have to deliver a speech in public. She was "only" nervous (if I am right in seing a similarity between me and her, of course)