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Zymet, J. A. (2014). Distance-Based Decay in Long-Distance Phonological Processes: A Probabilistic Model for Malagasy, Latin, English, and Hungarian. University of California.
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/20n7n3gj

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Quantifying Language Disparities: A Distance-Based Predictive Model Using Linguistic Tree Structures

  AUTHORS: Akshata Chavan, Nicole Lee, Rezza Moieni, Mary Legrand

  KEYWORDS: Linguistic Evolution, Language Disparity, Shortest Path Algorithms, Exponential Decay, Levenshtein Distance, Computational Linguistics, Quantitative Linguistics, Network Analysis

  JOURNAL NAME: Open Journal of Social Sciences, Vol.13 No.12, December 31, 2025

  ABSTRACT: Understanding the historical evolution and divergence of languages requires a quantitative framework for measuring their relationships. Traditional linguistic classifications provide hierarchical structures but lack numerical quantification of language disparity. This project addresses this gap by developing a computational model to quantify linguistic distance within a language tree. This study employs a graph-based model, utilising the Shortest Path Algorithm and Levenshtein Distance to determine the minimum distance between languages, capturing their ancestral and lexical relationships, respectively. This distance is then converted into a relationship score using an exponential decay function, reflecting the observed non-linear pattern of linguistic similarity. The resulting model provides a robust computational tool for understanding language disparity, moving beyond broad classifications to provide numerical insights into how closely languages are related, contributing to the study of language evolution.