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Alien language

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Alien languages are a hypothetical subject since none have been

encountered so far.cite-ref-1[1] The research in these hypothetical languages is

variously called exolinguistics, xenolinguisticscite-ref-2[2] or

astrolinguistics.cite-ref-3[3]cite-ref-4[4] A group of prominent linguists and animal

communication scientists, including Noam Chomsky, have examined such

hypothetical languages in the book Xenolinguistics: Towards a Science of

Extraterrestrial Language, edited by astrobiologist Douglas Vakoch and

linguist Jeffrey Punske.cite-ref-5[5] The question of what form alien languages

might take and the possibility for humans to recognize and translate

them has been part of the linguistics and language studies courses,

e.g., at the Bowling Green State University (2001).cite-ref-wells1-6-0[6]

Starting with his hypothesis of a genetically predetermined

universal grammar of human languages, Noam Chomsky held that it would be

impossible for a human to naturally learn an alien language because it

would most probably violate the universal grammar inborn in humans.

Humans would have to study an alien language by the slow way of

discovery, the same way as scientists conduct research in complex

subjects.cite-ref-7[7]

Linguist Keren Rice posits that basic communication between humans and

aliens should be possible, unless "the things that we think are common

to languages—situating in time [and] space, talking about participants,

etc.—are so radically different that the human language provides no

starting point for it."cite-ref-8[8]

Jessica Coon, a professor of linguistics at McGill University, was

consulted for the linguistic aspect of the 2016 film Arrival. While

acknowledging that the graphical language in the film was art without

linguistic meaning, she stated that the film was a fairly accurate

portrayal of the approach human linguists would use in trying to

understand an alien language.cite-ref-9[9]

Laurance Doyle and others have suggested an application of Zipf's law

for detection of alien language in the

search for extraterrestrial intelligence.cite-ref-doyle2016-10-0[10]cite-ref-kersh2021-11-0[11]

Solomon W. Golomb posited that in order to gain the ability to build

radio transmitters or other devices capable of interstellar

communication, or any other technology beyond the most rudimentary

tools, knowledge must be accumulated over the course of many

generations. Golomb further reasoned that since this requires that those

who have learned knowledge from others can keep passing it on even after

those who originally created the knowledge are dead, any beings capable

of building civilizations must have an innate understanding that

information retains its meaning no matter who utters it, and not block

information out based on the generation of the messenger or deeming the

same words acceptable or unacceptable depending on who utters them. It

was held by Golomb that this ability, by being a necessary condition for

accumulating information into culture in the first place, must be innate

as something that is needed to form culture from the beginning cannot be

an effect of culture. Golomb argued that this would create a common

linguistic ground assisting humans with this ability in learning

extraterrestrial languages.cite-ref-12[12] Ian Roberts, a professor of linguistics

at the University of Cambridge says: "We are the only species that have

language in the sense of an open-ended system which can be used to

express anything you want to express". Roberts sits on the

Advisory Council of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI), an

organisation founded in 2015 to send messages from Earth to outer space

in the hope of receiving a reply.

Contents

• See also

• References