cross-linguistic comparisons

Cross-linguistic comparisons involve studying and analyzing different languages to understand their similarities and differences. This approach helps researchers identify common patterns, structures, and features across languages, revealing how humans communicate and how languages evolve. By comparing languages, we can learn about linguistic universals—things shared by many languages—and unique traits that make each language special. It's like comparing different recipes to see ingredients that are common or unique, helping us understand the diversity and connections in human language worldwide.