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Article published In: Linguistics in the Netherlands 2023
Edited by Sterre Leufkens and Marco Bril
[Linguistics in the Netherlands 40] 2023
► pp. 309–317

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Essays ‘LOT Big Questions Prize’

Reimagining language

Towards a better understanding of language by including our interactions with non-humans

 | Meertens Institute
 | Leiden University
 | University of Groningen
 | Meertens Institute | Utrecht University
 | Tilburg University
 | Radboud University
 | Radboud University | Radboud University
 | Radboud University
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

Published online: 3 November 2023
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https://doi.org/10.1075/avt.00095.ras
Abstract
What is language and who or what can be said to have it? In this essay we consider this question in the context of interactions with non-humans, specifically: animals and computers. While perhaps an odd pairing at first glance, here we argue that these domains can offer contrasting perspectives through which we can explore and reimagine language. The interactions between humans and animals, as well as between humans and computers, reveal both the essence and the boundaries of language: from examining the role of sequence and contingency in human-animal interaction, to unravelling the challenges of natural interactions with “smart” speakers and language models. By bringing together disparate fields around foundational questions, we push the boundaries of linguistic inquiry and uncover new insights into what language is and how it functions in diverse non-human-exclusive contexts.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Human-animal interaction
  • 3.Human-computer interaction
  • 4.Discussion
  • LOT Essay Prize
  • References
References (63)
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