Title :

Languages as public goods and language change as a tragedy of the commons

Author(s) :

Schaden, Gerhard [Auteur]
Savoirs, Textes, Langage (STL) - UMR 8163 [STL]
Université de Lille

Scientific editor(s) :

Enke
Dankmar W. (Editor)
Hyman
Larry M. (Editor)
Nichols
Johanna (Editor)
Seiler
Guido (Editor)
Weber
Thilo (Editor)
Hölzl
Andreas (Editor)

Book title :

Language Change for the Worse

Publisher :

Language Science Press

Publication date :

2024

ISBN :

978-3-96110-317-1

English keyword(s) :

Tragedy of the Commons
Language change
Speaker interest
Hearer interest
Conflict

HAL domain(s) :

Sciences de l'Homme et Société/Linguistique

English abstract : [en]

This paper makes three claims: first, that constructions in languages can be largely analyzed as public goods; second, that in cases where this is not true, they are common pool resources; and third, that in communication, ...
Show more >This paper makes three claims: first, that constructions in languages can be largely analyzed as public goods; second, that in cases where this is not true, they are common pool resources; and third, that in communication, there are systematic and intrinsic conflicts between speaker and hearer, such that in some cases, those conflicts will lead to a tragedy of the commons. It will be argued that at least some instances of language change can be seen as cases where short-term speaker interests impose costs on short-term hearer interests, and that in the long run, they also go against the best interests of speakers.Show less >

Language :

Anglais

Audience :

Internationale

Popular science :

Non

Collections :

• Savoirs, Textes, Langage (STL) - UMR 8163

Source :

Harvested from HAL