A Language Evolution Model Based on Feature Competitions

There has always been a missing piece in modelling human languages. Language learning and competition have all gained their researchers, but few have focused on the evolution of a single language. This paper proposes a language evolution model based on the substitution of an old feature by a new one. Such new features can be naturally formed, introduced from foreign languages or deliberately promoted by language policies. The model lays eyes on sociocultural factors contributing to the feature competitions that were neglected by previous studies. The case study on Norman Conquest using the model reports accurate reproduction of the language evolution of English. The model is then used to predict the future evolutionary trend of Wu Chinese, and is proved to be helpful in alarming dying languages and helping future researchers understand historical language evolutions.