The role of syntax in the formation of scale-free language networks

Abstract

The overall structure of a network is determined by its micro features, which are different in both syntactic and non-syntactic networks. However, the fact that most language networks are small-world and scale-free raises the question: does syntax play a role in forming the scale-free feature? To answer this question, we build syntactic networks and co-occurrence networks to compare the generation mechanisms of nodes, and to investigate whether syntactic and non-syntactic factors have distinct roles. The results show that frequency is the foundation of the scale-free feature, while syntax is beneficial to enhance this feature. This research introduces a microscopic approach, which may shed light on the scale-free feature of language networks.