An Argument for Languages in Languaging

  • Filippo Batisti
Parole chiave: Languaging, Linguistic diversity, Linguistic relativity, Distributed language approach, Interaction, Conversation Analysis

Abstract

This paper examines how the idea that there are different languages is treated by approaches that employ the notion of «languaging», focusing on Love and Cowley. It seems that within their critical reconsideration of the traditional view of what «language» is the importance of languages (i.e., linguistic diversity) is downplayed. Against this view, this paper argues that languages are indeed a relevant factor in shaping people’s actions, perception, thinking, etc. Arguments in support of thesis can be found in the most recent studies in linguistic relativity. They are focused on the interactional and situated features of human linguistic activity, just like «languaging» is concerned with embodied coordinated interactivity. However, points of theorical divergence remain. Moreover, the ontological tenets in languaging seem to get in the way of a reconciliation.

Riferimenti bibliografici

Austin, J. L. (1962), How to do things with words, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Batisti, F. (2017), «Linguistic Relativity And Its Relation To Analytic Philosophy», in Studia Semiotyczne, vol. XXXI, pp. 201-226.

Batisti, F. (2019), «Is Linguistic Relativity a kind of Relativism?», in Paradigmi, vol. 3, pp. 415-428.

Barsalou, L. (2008), «Grounded cognition», in Annual Review in Psychology, vol. 59, pp. 617-645.

Blanco Salgueiro, A. (2021), La relatividad lingüística (Variaciones Filosóficas), Akal, Madrid.

Björk, I. (2008), Relativizing linguistic relativity, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala.

Carston, R. (2010), Explicit communication and “free” pragmatic enrichment in Romero, E. & Soria, B. (2010), Explicit communication: Robyn Carston’s pragmatics, Palgrave Macmillan, London, pp. 217–285.

Casasanto, D. (2016), Linguistic relativity in Remier, N. (2016), Routledge Handbook of Semantics, pp. 158-174.

Chomsky, N. (1995), «Language and nature», in Mind, vol. 104, pp. 1-61.

Chrisomalis S. (2021), «The scope of linguistic relativity in graphic and lexical numeration», in Language & Communication, vol. 76, pp. 1-12.

Cobley, P. (2019), «Afterword», in Chinese Semiotic Studies, vol. 15, n. 4, pp. 697-709.

Cowley, S. J. (1998), «Of timing, turn-taking, and conversation», in Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, vol. 27, n. 5, pp. 541-571.

Cowley, S. J. (2011), «Taking a language stance», in Ecological Psychology, vol. 23, n. 3, pp. 1-25.

Cowley, S. J. (2014), «Linguistic embodiment and verbal constraints: human cognition and the scales of time», in Frontiers in Psychology vol. 5, art. 1085, pp. 1-11.

Cowley, S. J. (2017), «Changing the idea of language: Nigel Love’s perspective», in Language Sciences, vol. 61, pp. 43-55.

Cowley, S. J. (2019a), «Languaging evolved: A distributed perspective», in Chinese Semiotic Studies, vol. 15, n. 4, pp. 461-482.

Cowley, S. J. (2019b), «The return of languaging», in Chinese Semiotic Studies, vol. 15, n. 4, pp. 483-512.

Cowley, S. J., & Harvey, M. I. (2016), «The illusion of common ground», in New Ideas in Psychology, vol. 42, pp. 56-63.

Davidson, D. (1986), A Nice Derangement of Epitaphs, in LePore E., Truth and Interpretation: perspectives on the philosophy of Donald Davidson, Blackwell, Oxford, New York, pp. 459-476.

Demuro, E., & Gurney, L. (2021), «Languages/languaging as world-making: the ontological bases of language», in Language Sciences, vol. 83, pp. 1-13.

Enfield, N.J. (2015), «Linguistic relativity from reference to agency», in Annual Review of Anthropology, vol. 44, n. 1, pp. 207–224.

Everett, C. (2013), Linguistic relativity: Evidence across languages and cognitive domains, De Gruyter Mouton, Berlin-Boston.

Fele, G. (2007), L’analisi della conversazione, Il Mulino, Bologna.

Gardner, M. (1985), The mind’s new science: A history of the cognitive revolution, Basic Books, New York.

Grice, H.P. (1989), Studies in the way of words, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (MA).

Harris, R. (1981), The language myth, Duckworth, London.

Jaspers, J. (2018), «The transformative limits of translanguaging», in Language & Communication, vol. 58, pp. 1-10.

Kendon, A. (1972), Some relationships between body motion and speech in Seigman, A. & Pope, B., Studies in Dyadic Communication, Pergamon Press, Elmsford, New York, pp. 177–216.

Kravchenko, A. K. (2009), Language and mind: A biocognitive view in Götzsche, A., Memory, mind and language., Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, pp. 103-124.

Lakoff, G., Johnson, M. (1980), Metaphors we live by, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Lee, P. (1996), The Whorf theory complex. A critical reconstruction, John Benjamins, Amsterdam-New York.

Levinson, S. C. (2003), Space in language and cognition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Love, N. (1990), «The locus of languages in a redefined linguistics», in Davis, H.G., Taylor, T.J., Redefining Linguistics, Routledge, London, pp. 53–117.

Love, N. (2004), «Cognition and the language myth», in Language Sciences, vol. 26, n. 6, pp. 525–544.

Love, N. (2007), «Are languages digital codes?», in Language Sciences, vol. 29, pp. 690-709.

Love, N. (2009), «Science, language and linguistic culture», in Language & Communication, vol. 29, pp. 26-46.

Love, N. (2017), «On languaging and languages», in Language Sciences, vol. 61, pp. 113-147.

Lucy, J. A. (1992), Language diversity and thought, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Lucy, J. A. (1997), «Linguistic relativity», Annual Review of Anthropology, vol. 26, pp. 291–312.

Majid, A., & Burenhult, N. (2014), «Odors are expressible in language, as long as you speak the right language», in Cognition, vol. 130, n. 2, pp. 266-270.

Makoni, S. & Pennycook, A. (2006), Disinventing and reconstituting languages, Multilingual Matters, Bristol.

McNeill, D. (1992), What gestures reveal about thought, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Orman, J. (2013), «New lingualisms, same old codes», in Language Sciences, vol. 37, pp. 90-98.

Orman, J. (2016), «Scientism in the language sciences», in Language Sciences, vol. 48, pp. 28-40.

Pinna, S. (2020), «L’approccio distribuito allo studio del linguaggio», in APhEx, n. 21, http://www.aphex.it/public/file/Content20200127_APhEx21,2020ApproccioDistribuitoLinguaggioPinna.pdf

Sabino, R. (2018), «Languaging without languages. Beyond metro-, multi-, poly-, pluri- and translanguaging», Brill, Leiden-Boston.

Saraceni, M., Jacob, C. (2019), «Revisiting borders: named languages and de-colonization», in Language Sciences, vol. 76, pp. 1-10.

Seargeant, P. (2010), «The historical ontology of language» in Language Sciences, vol. 32, pp. 1-13.

Sidnell, J., & Enfield, N.J. (2012), «Language diversity and social action: A third locus of linguistic relativity», in Current Anthropology, vol. 53, n. 3, pp. 302-333.

Stainton, R. (2016), «A deranged argument against public languages», in Inquiry, vol. 59, n. 1, pp. 6–32.

Steffensen, S.V. (2015), «Distributed language and dialogism: notes on non-locality, sense-making and interactivity», in Language Sciences, vol. 50, pp. 105-119.

Steffensen, S.V., Fill, A., (2014), «Ecolinguistics: the state of the art and future horizons», in Language Sciences, vol. 41, pp. 6–25.

Thibault, P. (2017), «The reflexivity of human languaging and Nigel Love’s two orders of language», in Language Sciences, vol. 61, pp. 74-85.

Wacewicz, S., Żywiczyński, P. (2017) «The multimodal origins of linguistic communication», in Language & Communication, vol. 54, pp. 1-8.

Whorf, B. L. (1956), Language, thought and reality. Selected writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf, MIT Press, Cambridge (MA).

Wolff, P., & Holmes, K. (2011), «Linguistic relativity», in Cognitive Science, vol. 2, n. 3, pp. 253–265.

Zinken, J. (2016), Requesting responsibility. The morality of grammar in Polish and English family interaction, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York.
Pubblicato
2022-01-23
Come citare
Batisti, F. (2022) «An Argument for Languages in Languaging», Rivista Italiana di Filosofia del Linguaggio, 15(2). doi: 10.4396/2021201.