Extraterrestrial tongues
The challenge of imagining alien communication is highlighted in the film Arrival (2016), where linguists confront a language strikingly different from any on Earth. While fictional alien languages like Klingon (Star Trek) often resemble human languages with variations in sound or syntax, the possibilities for extraterrestrial tongues are far more diverse. To truly grasp the potential for alien linguistic systems, we must consider the fundamental components of language itself: signs, structure, semantics, and pragmatics.
The first level, signs, encompasses the means of expression, which could extend beyond spoken words and written symbols to include gestures, smells (as in animal communication), or even electrical impulses. Structure, the second level, involves the organization of language, including grammar and syntax. While we might initially assume alien languages would share structural similarities with our own, they could radically differ, potentially lacking familiar elements like nouns or verbs, or employing entirely novel grammatical categories, perhaps akin to the way maps convey information.
Semantics, the third level, deals with meaning. Here, the problem of untranslatability arises. While some differences in meaning between human languages exist (e.g., the German word "Fernweh"), alien languages might present more fundamental challenges. If aliens perceive and categorize the world in fundamentally different ways, their language might express concepts we struggle to even grasp.
Despite these obstacles, communication may still be possible. Shared needs, such as describing the world or giving commands, could provide a basis for finding points of connection between alien and human languages. Pragmatics, the fourth level, concerns how language is used in context, including metaphors and social conventions. Differences at this level, particularly when combined with semantic differences, as illustrated by the Tamarian language in Star Trek: The Next Generation, can further complicate understanding.
Ultimately, contemplating the possibilities of alien communication pushes us to expand our understanding of language itself. It encourages us to move beyond our "anthropocentric bubble" and consider that alien languages might possess levels or structures we haven't yet imagined, potentially transforming our perspectives on consciousness, intelligence, and what it means to communicate.
Aeon, April 9th, 2025,(Adaptado)