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Article published In: Diachronica
Vol. 42:1 (2025) ► pp.1–46

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Paradigmatic complexity metrics as signals of phylogenetic relatedness

A proof of concept in Romance and Pamean diachrony

ORCiD logo with link | University of Zurich
ORCiD logo with link | University of Zurich
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with University of Zurich.

Published online: 4 March 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.23004.her
Abstract
Morphological complexity metrics like entropy, and notions like the Paradigm Cell-Filling Problem, have recently (re)gained popularity for the synchronic analysis of inflectional systems. The potential of these quantitative approaches for diachronic research, however, remains largely untapped. This paper constitutes a first exploration of whether and, if so, how these methods can be used profitably in this domain. We first use Romance, for which we have rich historical knowledge, to establish the diagnostic value of complexity metrics for phylogenetic relatedness under a best-case scenario. We then apply these methods to Pamean (Otomanguean, Mexico) to show that the same metrics help diagnose the phylogenetic relatedness of tenses and inflection classes even when, as is the case in this family, most of the morphological material has been replaced or altered beyond recognition. Results suggest that complexity metrics can successfully diagnose phylogenetic relatedness over extended periods of time and fruitfully complement traditional qualitative approaches.
Résumé
Les mesures de complexité morphologique comme l’entropie et des notions comme le problème de remplissage du paradigme (PCFP) ont récemment (re)gagné en popularité pour l’analyse synchronique des systèmes flexionnels. Le potentiel de ces approches quantitatives pour la recherche diachronique reste cependant largement inexploité. Cet article constitue une première exploration de la question de savoir comment ces méthodes peuvent être utilisées avec succès dans ce domaine. Nous utilisons d’abord les langues romanes pour établir la valeur diagnostique des métriques de complexité pour la relation phylogénétique dans le meilleur des cas, avec de riches connaissances historiques, puis nous les appliquons aux langues paméenes pour montrer que les mêmes métriques aident à diagnostiquer la relation phylogénétique des temps et des classes d’inflexion, même lorsque, comme c’est le cas dans cette famille, la majeure partie du matériel morphologique a été remplacée ou altérée au point de devenir méconnaissable. Les résultats suggèrent que les mesures de complexité peuvent diagnostiquer avec succès la parenté phylogénétique sur des périodes prolongées et compléter de manière fructueuse les approches qualitatives traditionnelles.
Zusammenfassung
Morphologische Komplexitätsmetriken wie die Entropie und Konzepte wie das Paradigm Cell-Filling Problem haben in letzter Zeit (wieder) an Popularität für die synchrone Analyse von Flexionssystemen gewonnen. Das Potenzial dieser quantitativen Ansätze für die diachrone Forschung bleibt jedoch weitgehend ungenutzt. Dieser Beitrag stellt eine erste Untersuchung dar, ob diese Methoden in diesem Bereich gewinnbringend eingesetzt werden können. Wir verwenden zunächst die romanischen Sprachen, um den diagnostischen Wert von Komplexitätsmetriken für die phylogenetische Verwandtschaft in einem Best-Case-Szenario mit umfassendem historischem Wissen zu ermitteln, und wenden sie dann auf die pamäischen Sprachen an, um zu zeigen, dass dieselben Metriken bei der Diagnose der phylogenetischen Verwandtschaft von Zeitformen und Flexionsklassen helfen, selbst wenn, wie es in dieser Familie der Fall ist, der größte Teil der Morphologie ersetzt oder bis zur Unkenntlichkeit verändert wurde. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass Komplexitätsmetriken die phylogenetische Verwandtschaft über längere Zeiträume hinweg erfolgreich diagnostizieren und traditionelle qualitative Ansätze fruchtbar ergänzen können.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Paradigm complexity metrics
    • 2.1Distillations
    • 2.2n-MPS entropy
    • 2.3Static vs. dynamic principal parts
    • 2.4Density (of static and dynamic principal parts)
    • 2.5Cell predictability
    • 2.6Inflection class predictability
    • 2.7Cell predictiveness
    • 2.8Cell predictor number
    • 2.9Other metrics
  • 3.The quantitative profile of Romance conjugations
  • 4.Diagnostic use of IC complexity metrics in Oto-Pamean languages
    • 4.1Quantitative matching of Pame homologous tenses and ICs
    • 4.2Qualitative matching of Pame homologous tenses and ICs
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Supplementary materials
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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