MondayToFriday t1_j3l2b9v wrote
Two tendencies come to mind:
- (This is more about phonology than morphology.) Tonal languages tend to occur in humid climates, because tones are harder to produce with a dry throat.
- Adult language learners often simplify complex morphology. Therefore, languages that have experienced large population influxes through conquest or migration tend to have simpler morphology. Taking a step further, you might conclude that places that are more isolated would be more likely to maintain morphological complexity.
Djinn_and_juice OP t1_j3lrbqt wrote
Phonology is important too, just not something it occurred to me to include. I wonder if there is any link between the development of a language like Xhosa and anything that is region/climate specific. This is a great avenue to go down, thank you
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments