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Article published In: Diachronica
Vol. 41:1 (2024) ► pp.46–98

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Disentangling Ancestral State Reconstruction in historical linguistics

Comparing classic approaches and new methods using Oceanic grammar

ORCiD logo with link | Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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Published online: 7 March 2024
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https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.22022.ski
Abstract
Ancestral State Reconstruction (ASR) is an essential part of historical linguistics (HL). Conventional ASR in HL relies on three core principles: fewest changes on the tree, plausibility of changes and plausibility of the resulting combinations of features in proto-languages. This approach has some problems, in particular the definition of what is plausible and the disregard for branch lengths. This study compares the classic approach of ASR to computational tools (Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood), conceptually and practically. Computational models have the advantage of being more transparent, consistent and replicable, and the disadvantage of lacking nuanced knowledge and context. Using data from the structural database Grambank, I compare reconstructions of the grammar of ancestral Oceanic languages from the HL literature to those achieved by computational means. The results show that there is a high degree of agreement between manual and computational approaches, with a tendency for classical HL to ignore branch lengths. Explicitly taking branch lengths into account is more conceptually sound; as such the field of HL should engage in improving methods in this direction. A combination of computational methods and qualitative knowledge is possible in the future and would be of great benefit.
Résumé
La reconstruction de l’état ancestral (ASR) est une partie essentielle de la linguistique historique (HL). L’ASR conventionnel en HL repose sur trois principes fondamentaux : le moins de changements sur l’arbre, la plausibilité des changements et la plausibilité des combinaisons de caractéristiques résultantes dans les protolangues. Cette approche présente quelques problèmes, en particulier la définition de ce qui est plausible et l’ignorance des longueurs de branche. Cette étude compare l’approche classique de l’ASR aux outils informatiques (Maximum Parsimony et Maximum Likelihood), sur les plans conceptuel et pratique. Les modèles informatiques ont l’avantage d’être plus transparents, cohérents et reproductibles, et le désavantage de manquer des connaissances et des contextes nuancés. À l’aide de la base de données structurelle Grambank, je compare les reconstructions de la grammaire des langues océaniennes ancestrales de la littérature linguistique historique à celles réalisées par des moyens informatiques. Les résultats montrent qu’il existe un degré élevé d’accord entre les approches manuelles et informatiques, avec une tendance pour la HL classique à s’accorder davantage avec les approches qui ignorent les longueurs de branche. La prise en compte explicite des longueurs de branche est plus appropriée du point de vue conceptuel. En tant que tel, la linguistique historique devrait s’engager dans l’amélioration des méthodes dans cette direction. Une combinaison de méthodes informatiques et de connaissances qualitatives est possible à l’avenir et serait très bénéfique.
Zusammenfassung
Ancestral State Reconstruction (ASR) ist ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der historischen Linguistik (HL). Konventionelle ASR in der HL basiert auf drei Grundprinzipien: möglichst wenige Änderungen des Baumes, Plausibilität von Änderungen und Plausibilität der resultierenden Protosprachen. Dieser Ansatz weist einige Probleme auf, insbesondere die Definition von plausibel und die Nichtberücksichtigung der Länge von Zweigen. Die vorliegende Studie vergleicht den klassischen Ansatz von ASR konzeptionell und praktisch mit computergestützten Werkzeugen (Maximum Parsimony und Maximum Likelihood). Computergestützte Modelle haben den Vorteil, dass sie transparenter, konsistenter und reproduzierbarer sind, und den Nachteil, dass differenziertes Wissen und Kontext nur begrenzt berücksichtigt werden. Anhand von Daten aus der Grambank-Datenbank, die grammatische und strukturelle Merkmale beinhaltet, vergleiche ich Rekonstruktionen der Grammatik der ozeanischen Ursprungssprachen aus der historischen linguistischen Literatur mit solchen, die mit computergestützten Werkzeugen erzielt wurden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es ein hohes Maß an Übereinstimmung zwischen Ergebnissen aus manuellen und computergestützten Ansätzen gibt, wobei die klassische HL tendenziell eher mit Ansätzen übereinstimmt, die die Länge von Zweigen ignorieren. Die explizite Berücksichtigung von Zweiglängen ist konzeptionell fundierter, daher sollte sich die HL mit der Verbesserung der Methoden in dieser Richtung befassen. Eine Kombination aus computergestützten Methoden und qualitativem Wissen ist künftig möglich und wäre von großem Nutzen.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1The methods of ancestral state reconstruction in traditional historical linguistics
      • 2.1.1Disagreements in HL
    • 2.2Evaluating if the data are valid for phylogenetic analysis: The Double Cognacy Condition and phylogenetic signal
    • 2.3Computational phylogenetic methods
  • 3.Materials and methods
    • 3.1Methods: Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and most common
    • 3.2Calculation of similarity between predictions from conventional HL and computational approaches
    • 3.3Data
      • 3.3.1The Grambank dataset
      • 3.3.2Data coverage
      • 3.3.3The trees
      • 3.3.4Data from historical linguistics on Oceanic proto-language grammar
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Concordance between traditional HL and computational methods
    • 4.2New predictions
    • 4.3Where the conflicts are: Ergativity
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • Supplementary material
  • References
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