Patterns of word use both reflect and influence a myriad of human activities and interactions. Like other entities that reproduce and evolve, words rise or decline depending upon a complex interplay between fitness and environment. Using Internet discussion communities as model systems, we show that the word niche, defined as the extent of the word's association with specific people and topics, is a strong determinant of changes in word frequency. Previous, a posteriori, studies have indicated that word frequency is a correlate of word success at historical time scales. Our longitudinal analysis reveals that the word niche is far more important than word frequency in the dynamics of the entire vocabulary at shorter time scales, as the language adapts to new concepts and social groupings. We also identify endogenous versus exogenous value as a further component in the fate of words, and demonstrate the force of this distinction in the rise of novel words. Our results indicate that short-term nonstationarity in word statistics is strongly driven by individual proclivities, including inclinations to provide novel information and to project a distinctive social identity.

本研究通过对互联网讨论社区作为模型系统的研究，定义了“词语生态位”的概念，并开发了一种量化词语生态位大小的方法，进而研究了词频变化的影响因素。结果表明，词语生态位大小远比词频更重要，而短期词汇统计学的非稳态主要受到个体倾向性的驱动，包括提供新信息和展现个性。

在线群体中的细分对词汇命运的决定作用