Computer Enumeration of Significant Implicational Universals of Kinship Terminology

Bibliographic Data

ID24315109
AuthorsRaúl E Valdés-Pérez (Carnegie Mellon University), Vladimir Pericliev (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)
Year1999
Volume33
Issue2
Pages162-174
Publication date1999-05-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCross-Cultural Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1069-3971 • E-ISSN: 1552-3578
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/106939719903300202
OpenAlexW2160624744
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited15

The discovery of general patterns and their subsequent explanation is a familiar method in linguistics and other cross-cultural research. This article addresses the computerized enumeration of significant cultural and linguistic patterns, specifically implicational universals. We dispute published suggestions that the mechanical generation of universals is inadvisable by arguing that such claims do not distinguish clearly the noticing of a pattern with its explanation. We make use of a simple, principled method that uses permutation tests to estimate whether the discovered universals are significant. Finally, these methods are used to mine the rich kinship data set contributed by G. P. Murdock in 1970 and to report 15 universals found therein.

cross-cultural linguistics · implicational universals · kinship terms · permutation tests · Significance testing · Categorization, perception, and language · Language and cultural evolution · Language and Culture