This academic article investigates the evolutionary pressures that shape identical consonant avoidance across the world’s languages. It finds that languages tend to avoid word forms containing sequences of similar or identical consonants, due to biomechanical and cognitive difficulties. Through phylogenetic analyses, the paper reveals that words with identical consonants arise less frequently and are more likely to be removed during mutation. However, they do not die out more frequently. The under-representation of sequences of identical consonants is primarily a byproduct of constraints on word form creation, though word usage processes also contribute to their infrequency in salient vocabulary. These findings shed light on previously unknown aspects of lexical evolution and competition during language change.
Publication date: 26 Sep 2023
Project Page: https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.14006
Paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2309.14006
