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Abstract

Ambiguity is a defining property of natural language distinguishing it from artificial languages. It would seem to be dysfunctional, and therefore its ubiquity in language poses an evolutionary puzzle. This paper discusses the implications of a typical iterated learning model on the conditions under which syntactic ambiguity emerges and stabilises in language. It contrasts the purely nativist stance that language imperfections such as syntactic ambiguity are artifacts arising from internal constraints of the genetically determined language faculty with the view that they are frozen accidents persisting because they are easily learnt.

@inproceedings{hoefler06whyAmbiguousSyntax,
  author={Stefan Hoefler},
  title={Why has ambiguous syntax emerged?},
  year={2006},
  pages={123-130},
  booktitle={Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Evolution of Language},
  url={http://www.isrl.uiuc.edu/~amag/langev/paper/hoefler06whyAmbiguousSyntax.html}
}