If the first
noun in a sentence without a clear case marker («Bertram») does not refer
to the agent,
the brain activity is stronger (see blue curve). (Image: UZH)
(August 14, 2015) Languages are constantly evolving – and grammar is no
exception. The way in which the brain processes language triggers adjustments.
If the brain has to exert itself too much to cope with difficult case
constructions, it usually simplifies them over time, as linguists from the
University of Zurich demonstrate in a study on languages all over the world.
The grammar of languages keeps reorganizing itself. A prime
example of this is the omission of case endings in the transition from Latin to
Italian. And in some instances, case systems are remodeled entirely – such as
in the transition from Sanskrit to Hindi, which has completely new grammatical
cases.
Simplifications found
in all languages
An international team of researchers headed by linguist
Balthasar Bickel from the University of Zurich conducted statistical analyses
of the case systems in more than 600 languages and recorded the changes over
time. They then tested these adaptations experimentally in test subjects,
measuring the brain flows that become active during language comprehension. The
scientists were therefore able to demonstrate that the brain activity is
stronger for complex case constructions than for simple ones.