Lecture session 3
Word meanings across languages support efficient communication

Why do languages have the semantic categories that they do? I will argue that language supports efficient communication and that systems of categories show the imprint of selective pressure for this function. Consistent with prior work on "competing motivations”, I will argue that good systems of categories are simple (which minimizes cognitive load) and informative (which maximizes communicative effectiveness). These two constraints compete against each other, and I will suggest that semantic systems in the world’s languages tend to achieve near-optimal trade-offs between these constraints. To support this idea, I will present an information-theoretic analysis of colour naming across languages and will also address the notorious topic of “Eskimo words for snow."