Quantitative linguistics
Our research in the field of quantitative linguistics
Welcome to the pages of the Institute of Slavonic Studies dedicated to research in the field of linguistics. Our work is firmly anchored in theoretical orientations, in particular generative grammar and formal semantics. We pride ourselves on employing robust empirical methods, including the use of corpora and experiments, to improve our understanding of language in general and Slavic languages in particular. Thank you for exploring the fascinating world of language research with us.
What is special about our institute in the field of linguistics is that, in addition to a pronounced formal-theoretical orientation, we are strongly committed to the targeted use of measurable linguistic data.
Above all, we are looking for ways in which quantitative findings can be incorporated into the formal modeling and explanation of linguistic structures. Our empirical research is therefore theory-driven: We identify theoretical questions with profound consequences for our understanding of the nature of human language and look for ways to quantify the variables that either reveal new relevant phenomena or test the existing hypotheses in a non-trivial way.
In this endeavor, we rely on both quantitative fields used in linguistics: corpus linguistics and experimental methods. In corpus linguistics, we mostly use existing corpora to build extensive databases of relevant linguistic data through query and annotation, such as our database of West South Slavic verbs (WeSoSlaV). We then use these databases both for exploratory research purposes and to test the predictions of various theories in the fields of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. We also develop our own corpora in areas that are of interest to us and for which no robust corpora are available, such as language of origin.
In our experimental research we use a variety of techniques, from the family of lexical decision experiments to self-directed reading, grammaticality and acceptability judgments, forced choice experiments with stimuli in different media, interviews and elicited narration.
Our team consists of experts with broad knowledge and experience:
- Boban Arsenijević
- Jelena Simić
- Maria Katarzyna Prenner
- Marko Simonović
- Stefan Milosavljević
Ongoing projects:
- Hyperspacing the verb (international FWF/ARIS project with the University of Nova Gorica, PI: Boban Arsenijević)
- Multifunctionality in morphology (international ARIS/FWF project with the University of Nova Gorica, funded by the FWF, PI: Marko Simonović)
- Verbal suffixes and topic vowels: Different or the same? (Science and Research Scientific-technological cooperation mobility project with the University of Nova Gorica, funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, PI: Boban Arsenijević)
Stay tuned as we explore fascinating aspects of linguistic phenomena in Slavic and beyond together!