Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
open access
2016-06-30T00:00:00Z
Recent debates in the field of creole linguistics (creolistics) over the validity of a typological class of creole languages have inspired the adoption of new techniques to empirically test the...Show moreRecent debates in the field of creole linguistics (creolistics) over the validity of a typological class of creole languages have inspired the adoption of new techniques to empirically test the most prominent theories of creole origins and creole typology. Phylogenetic computational tools, i.e. phylogenetic trees and networks, have been utilized in linguistics to model evolutionary scenarios and to predict genetic relationships between languages, and more recently in creolistics to identify typological and genetic relationships between pidgin and creole languages. Following several recent analyses seeking to validate the creole typological class and to test theories of creole genesis and classification using phylogenetic computation (Bakker et al. 2011; Daval-Markussen & Bakker 2012; etc), the present thesis continues this line of research by applying the same methods in order to test an older, frequently overlooked theory of creole genesis—Derek Bickerton’s Language Bioprogram Hypothesis (LBH). Bickerton’s LBH attributes creole genesis to an innate human Bioprogram for language, invoked in situations where linguistic input is insufficient due to the influence of certain extralinguistic factors, resulting in a break in transmission of the lexifier language. This thesis seeks to test the accuracy of a set of LBH features in distinguishing between creoles and non-creoles in a phylogenetic network analysis, supplementing the results with a multiple regression analysis testing the correlation between the degree of creoleness and sociohistorical factors predicted by Bickerton’s theory. Following the specifications of the LBH, the network analysis was expected to show a clear distinction between creoles and non-creoles, as well as patterns within the cluster of creoles associated to the presence of certain extralinguistic factors. The output of the analysis indicates the validity of a creole typological class, yet the complete distribution of the languages in the networks cannot be entirely accounted for by the predictions of the LBH. While some of the clusters in the network can be attributed to prolonged contact with the superstrate language, which proved to be a significant factor in the regression analysis, other groupings are less predictable. The similar patterning of creoles and languages with low complexity scores according to Parkvall’s (2008) metric in the phylogenetic network analysis indicates the compatibility of Bickerton’s LBH and the proposal of a structurally less complex, synchronic class of creole languages. The variability in the patterning of creoles within the creole cluster in the phylogenetic network analysis is thought to be related to the unique combination of extralinguistic factors influencing the development of each individual creole. The structural variation among the class of creole languages is expected to increase with time.Show less
In recent years, a number of artificial materials (so called metamaterials) have been developed, tailoring exotic responses to mechanical stress by exploiting geometrical features. A particular...Show moreIn recent years, a number of artificial materials (so called metamaterials) have been developed, tailoring exotic responses to mechanical stress by exploiting geometrical features. A particular class of 2D metamaterials consists of tilings of polygons that can fold onto themselves by exploiting a mechanical instability triggered by compression. A subclass of these materials shows a sequence of two ordered states (one partially and one fully closed) when biaxially compressed; however, the reason why such networks fold in multiple steps is yet elusive and we are unaware of a general rule to design them; it is even unknown whether it is possible to increase the number of ordered states sequentially reached by a network during the folding process. In order to answer these questions, first we investigate a variety of designs to determine the role played by symmetries, topology and elastic energy; secondly, we focus on a hierarchical approach to design a network with three folding stages; finally, we fully characterize the mechanical response of this new network and we study how the order of the system evolves during the folding process.Show less
