On Colexification among Basic Vocabulary
Vladimir Borissov Pericliev · Journal of Universal Language · 2015
The paper presents a typological database of colexifications among basic vocabulary, derived from the Automated Similarity Judgment Program (ASJP) database. Some uses of the inventory of colexifications are proposed. Some heuristics are introduced regarding the discrimination of polysemy from homonymy in a typological database, as well as such pertaining to the determination of common membership of two languages in the same language family. In particular, it was found that shared colexifications corroborate the postulation of the Austric stock and the attribution of Sumerian to the Tibeto-Burman language family.