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  • © 2017

Language in Complexity

The Emerging Meaning

  • Provides a useful and comprehensive didactic toolbox: conceptual maps, diagrams, synoptic tables, etc.
  • Includes indexes and references for a safe and quick navigation through the text
  • Attempts to bridge hard sciences and humanities by carefully introducing adequate vocabulary
  • Written by experts in the field
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Morphogenesis (LECTMORPH)

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxvi
  2. Complexity and Linguistic Theory: Epistemological Questions

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. The Game of Complexity and Linguistic Theorization

      • David Piotrowski, Y.-M. Visetti
      Pages 3-27
    3. Continuity in the Interactions Between Linguistic Units

      • Gilles Col, Rossana De Angelis, Thierry Poibeau
      Pages 29-48
    4. Modeling Language Change: The Pitfall of Grammaticalization

      • Quentin Feltgen, Benjamin Fagard, Jean-Pierre Nadal
      Pages 49-72
    5. The Case for Cognitive Plausibility

      • Pietro Perconti
      Pages 73-79
  3. Linguistic Complexity: Physics, Computation and Biology

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 141-141
    2. Two Ways into Complexity

      • Andrea Zeppi
      Pages 155-168
    3. Language and Brain Complexity

      • Alessio Plebe, Vivian M. De La Cruz
      Pages 169-199

About this book

This contributed volume explores the achievements gained and the remaining puzzling questions by applying dynamical systems theory to the linguistic inquiry. In particular, the book is divided into three parts, each one addressing one of the following topics:

1) Facing complexity in the right way: mathematics and complexity 
2) Complexity and theory of language 
3) From empirical observation to formal models: investigation of specific linguistic phenomena, like enunciation, deixis, or the meaning of the metaphorical phrases

The application of complexity theory to describe cognitive phenomena is a recent and very promising trend in cognitive science. At the time when dynamical approaches triggered a paradigm shift in cognitive science some decade ago, the major topic of research were the challenges imposed by classical computational approaches dealing with the explanation of cognitive phenomena like consciousness, decision making and language.  Thetarget audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field but the book may also be beneficial for graduate and post-graduate students who want to enter the field.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Università di Palermo Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Palermo, Italy

    Francesco La Mantia

  • Institute for Scientific Methodology ISEM c/o CNR, Palermo, Italy

    Ignazio Licata

  • Dipartimento di scienze Cognitive, Università di Messina Dipartimento di scienze Cognitive, Messina, Italy

    Pietro Perconti

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access