The Game of Same and Different – A framework for analyzing determiner systems

Abstract

This paper proposes to extend the Game of Same and Different (introduced by Grønn and Szæbø, 2012), and to transform it into a general framework for reasoning about determiner systems in natural languages. The system is applied to a Latin-like language with a singular- plural system and no articles. It will be shown that the system converges under highly rational agents toward the use of the demonstrative as a definite article, and against the emergence of an indefinite article. The behavior of agents more limited in their rationality is explored, and compared with the diachronic development of definite and indefinite articles. Finally, the underlying assumptions of the model are checked against two Latin texts.