Astrolinguistics, xenolinguistics, or even exolinguistics, is the field of linguistics research that strives to determine and develop models of non-human (extraterrestrial) languages in the event of a first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization intelligent would be performed. Since such an event has not yet occurred, this area is still hypothetical, but gives rise to real academic research work by scientists.
The observable universe has hundreds of millions of galaxies, each in turn containing hundreds of millions of potential stars and planets. The existence of intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations cannot therefore be excluded. If no contact with humans has yet occurred, the possibility of such an event is possible. So much so that scientists are already beginning to anticipate this eventuality by trying to develop communication tools.
Far from being science fiction, astrolinguistics is an academic discipline that has developed over the past 30 years. Some universities, such as Bowling Green State University (United States), have even integrated it into their courses in order to train researchers specializing in this field. Xenolinguistics is actually a sub-family of theoretical linguistics whose objective is the construction and deconstruction of fictitious or existing languages.
One of the pioneers of the field is the famous American linguist Noam Chomsky. For the latter, the theory of universal grammar would prevent humans from naturally understanding an extraterrestrial civilization. This theory posits that the elementary and common bases of human grammar are genetically predetermined, encoded in the genome, independent of culture or environment. Man should therefore have difficulty and slowly deciphering each structure of this new language.
For Canadian linguist Keren Rice, who specializes in indigenous languages, extremely basic communication between humans and extraterrestrials would be possible as long as the primitive contextual elements remain the same. For example, even if the terms to designate a planet change, it is very likely that an extraterrestrial civilization knows the object itself, that is to say that it has already seen a planet.
Astrolinguistics is more broadly integrated into the field of Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI) which is the focus of many researchers and scientific institutions. The question is regularly the subject of scientific discussions at the American Association for the Advancement of Science .
Generally, four forms of possible languages are defined:mathematical language, pictorial language, algorithmic and multimodal language, and natural language. The linguistic tools developed as part of this research are based on current studies aimed at deciphering human languages that have not yet been deciphered, such as Linear A, a language used in ancient Crete between 1900 and 1400 BC. AD
Lincos (for lingua cosmica) is one of the very first mathematical languages developed by the German mathematician Hans Freudenthal in the early 1960s, in his book Lincos:Design of a Language for Cosmic Intercourse . It uses a basic mathematical structure to convey messages, intended to be understood by any intelligent civilization. Subsequently, scientists like Lancelot Hogben and Carl Sagan will also propose syntaxes based on mathematical principles.
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Pictorial language systems have, for example, been integrated into the Pioneer and Voyager probes in the form of images intended to be universal (man and woman, DNA, binary code, etc.).
Similarly, the Arecibo message contained some atomic structures, the building blocks of DNA, a diagram of the Solar System, and a drawing of the Arecibo telescope itself. A hybrid of mathematical and pictorial language, considered scientifically realistic, was developed for the film First Contact, under the direction of linguist Jessica Coon.
Multimodal language combines several communication systems to maximize the chances of understanding. The Teen-Age Message developed by Russian scientists is a good example.
The latter combines a radio signal intended to allow recipients to trace its source, music played on a theremin, as well as an association of images similar to those of the Arecibo message. While the algorithmic language takes the form of computer code that can be executed on any machine.
Finally, natural language refers to the case where a civilization communicates, voluntarily or not, with us in its native language. In this case, scientists should deconstruct language by isolating repetitive patterns, rhythms, repetition rates, complex structures, and underlying linguistic properties that point to an intelligent communication system.
