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Article published In: Studies in Language
Vol. 50:2 (2026) ► pp.259–293

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Distance-based approach reveals convergence effects in word order among the languages of the Circum-Baltic linguistic area

ORCiD logo with link | University of Potsdam
 | University of Potsdam
 | University of Potsdam
 | University of Potsdam
Published online: 1 December 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.24061.ser
Abstract
We probe a new approach to linguistic areas. Instead of similarity of a feature across languages of the area, we focus on its adaptation to the area. Adaptation is a set of changes and/or retentions in a language towards, but not necessarily into, similarity with the other languages of the area. Technically, we estimate adaptation by comparing the distance between the focus language from the area and a geographically and genealogically closely related language outside of the area (its benchmark language) as tertium comparationis. If the focus language is closer to the area than its benchmark, we interpret it as evidence for adaptation towards the other languages of the area. Adaptation includes all possible scenarios of change and non-change. We test word order and find that all languages of the CB area show effects of adaptation, with Baltic Romani and both Baltic languages being in the center of the area.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Why do we need a new approach to establishing convergence in linguistic areas?
  • 3.The distance-based approach
  • 4.Word order
  • 5.Data
  • 6.Computation
  • 7.Results
  • 8.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • List of abbreviations
  • References
References (86)
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