2015-12-09

Lexicostatistics and Phylogenetics

Lexicostatistics can be seen as the predecessor of modern phylogenetic approaches in historical linguistics. Not necessarily regarding the models of lexical change, but more regarding the treatment of data and the workflow of data creation, which starts from a concept lists, translates this list into different languages, and then searches for cognates in this list. Given that the presumed models of lexical change were quite different in lexicostatostics compared to modern phylogenetics, I have some precautions regarding the use of lexicostatistical data for phylogenetic analyses, which I present in more detail in a new blogpost I wrote for David Morrison's blog The Genealogical World of Phylogenetic Networks and which you may find here.