Nouns slow down speech: evidence from structurally and culturally diverse languages

A study led by Frank Seifart (University of Amsterdam; Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication) and Professor Balthasar Bickel (University of Zurich; URPP Language and Space, Department of Comparative Linguistics) investigates slow-down effects occurring before uttering nouns and verbs in different languages. See the University of Zurich press release and the article published in The New Yorker for more detailed insights.

Literature:

Frank Seifart, Jan Strunk, Swintha Danielsen, Iren Hartmann, Brigitte Pakendorf, Søren Wichmann, Alena Witzlack-Makarevich, Nivja de Jong, Balthasar Bickel. Nouns slow down speech: evidence from structurally and culturally diverse languages. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Doi: 10.1073/pnas.1800708115