What is distributional typology?

Distributional Typology is a general framework for comparative linguistics that applies statistical methods to fine-grained databases in order to determine the factors driving the distribution of linguistic patterns over time and space. Distributional Typology can be seen as one specific approach to the question «What's Where Why» that is increasingly moving center stage in typology.

Theory and method

Theoretical and methodological work in Distributional Typology has so far concentrated on three issues:

  • The differences between Distributional Typology and classical approaches (going back to von der Gabelentz) that seek to establish exceptionless implicational universals. Central publications:
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2014). Linguistic diversity and universals. In Nicholas J. Enfield, Paul Kockelman & Jack Sidnell (eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Linguistic Anthropology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. access
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2015). Distributional typology: statistical inquiries into the dynamics of linguistic diversity. In Bernd Heine & Heiko Narrog (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. access
  • The development of more fine-grained and empirically more responsible databases (multivariate analysis). Central publications:
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2010). Capturing particulars and universals in clause linkage: a multivariate analysis. In Isabelle Bril (ed.), Clause-hierarchy and clause-linking: the syntax and pragmatics interface, 51–101. Amsterdam: Benjamins. open access
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2011). Multivariate typology and field linguistics: a case study on detransitivization in Kiranti (Sino-Tibetan). In Peter K. Austin, Oliver Bond, David Nathan & Lutz Marten (eds.), Proc. Conf. Language Documentation and Linguistic Theory 3, 3–13. London: SOAS. open access
  • Methods for estimating trends in development over time (the Family Bias Method). Central publications:
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2011). Statistical modeling of language universals. Linguistic Typology 15. 401–414. open access
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2013). Distributional biases in language families. In Balthasar Bickel, Lenore A. Grenoble, David A. Peterson & Alan Timberlake (eds.), Language typology and historical contingency, 415-444. Amsterdam: Benjamins. preprint

An overview paper is available in the Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis:

  • Bickel, Balthasar (2015). Distributional typology: statistical inquiries into the dynamics of linguistic diversity. In Bernd Heine & Heiko Narrog (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. access

And a summary report on project work carried out between 2009 and 2011 is found in:

  • Bickel, Balthasar (2012). Final report on the project: «Distributional Typology: investigating the theoretical and methodological foundations of a probablistic approach to linguistic typology». Research report, Volkswagen Foundation. final report

Topics

Distributional Typology, or aspects of it, has been applied to various phenomena:

  • Grammatical relations
    • Bickel, Balthasar, Alena Witzlack-Makarevich & Taras Zakharko (2014). Typological evidence against universal effects of referential scales on case alignment. In Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Ina, Andrej Malchukov & Marc Richards (eds.), Scales: a cross-disciplinary perspective on referential hierarchies Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. access
    • Bickel, Balthasar, Alena Witzlack-Makarevich, Taras Zakharko & Giorgio Iemmolo (in press). Exploring diachronic universals of agreement: alignment patterns and zero marking across person categories. In Jürg Fleischer, Elisabeth Rieken & Paul Widmer (eds.), Agreement from a diachronic perspective, Berlin: de Gruyter. preprint
    • Bickel, Balthasar, Giorgio Iemmolo, Taras Zakharko & Alena Witzlack-Makarevich (2013). Patterns of alignment in verb agreement. In Dik Bakker & Martin Haspelmath (eds.), Languages across boundaries: studies in the memory of Anna Siewierska,,15-36. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. preprint
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2011). Grammatical relations typology. In Jae Jung Song (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Language Typology, 399–444. Oxford: Oxford University Press. preprint
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2011). Multivariate typology and field linguistics: a case study on detransitivization in Kiranti (Sino-Tibetan). In Peter K. Austin, Oliver Bond, David Nathan & Lutz Marten (eds.), Proc. Conf. Language Documentation and Linguistic Theory 3, 3–13. London: SOAS. open access
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2008). Verb agreement and epistemic marking: a typological journey from the Himalayas to the Caucasus. In Brigitte Huber, Marianne Volkart & Paul Widmer (eds.) Chomolangma, Demawend und Kasbek. Chomolongma, Demawend und Kasbek: Festschrift für Roland Bielmeier zu seinem 65. Geburtstag, 1–14. Halle: International Institute for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies. open access
  • Word order
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2015). Distributional typology: statistical inquiries into the dynamics of linguistic diversity. In Bernd Heine & Heiko Narrog (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. access
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2011). Statistical modeling of language universals. Linguistic Typology 15. 401–414. open access
    • Sinnemäki, Kaius (2010). Word order in zero-marking languages. Studies in Language 34. 869–912.
  • Clause linkage
    • Schackow, Diana, Balthasar Bickel, Shree Kumar Rai, Narayan P. Sharma (Gautam), Arjun Rai & Martin Gaenszle (2012). Morphosyntactic properties and scope behavior of «subordinate» clauses in Puma (Kiranti). In Volker Gast & Holger Diessel (eds.), Clause-combining in cross-linguistic perspective, 105–126. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. open access
    • Bickel, Balthasar (2010). Capturing particulars and universals in clause linkage: a multivariate analysis. In Isabelle Bril (ed.), Clause-hierarchy and clause-linking: the syntax and pragmatics interface, 51–101. Amsterdam: Benjamins. open access
  • Phonology
    • Schiering, René, Balthasar Bickel & Kristine Hildebrandt (2012). Stress-timed = word-based? Testing a hypothesis in Prosodic Typology. Language Typology and Universals 65. 157–168. open access
    • Bickel, Balthasar, Kristine Hildebrandt & René Schiering (2009). The distribution of phonological word domains: a probabilistic typology. In Janet Grijzenhout & Bariş Kabak (eds.), Phonological domains: universals and deviations, 47–75. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. open access
  • Cross-domain studies
    • Bickel, Balthasar & Johanna Nichols (in press). There is no significant typological difference between hunter-gatherer and other languages. In Tom Güldemann, Patrick McConvell & Richard Rhodes (eds.), The language of hunter-gatherers: global and historical perspectives, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. preprint