Spatial communication systems across languages reflect universal action constraints

Kenny R. Coventry; Harmen B. Gudde; Holger Diessel; Jacqueline Collier; Pedro Guijarro-Fuentes; Mila Vulchanova; Valentin Vulchanov; Emanuela Todisco; Maria Reile; Merlijn Breunesse; Helen Plado; Juergen Bohnemeyer; Raed Bsili; Michela Caldano; Rositsa Dekova; Katharine Donelson; Diana Forker; Yesol Park; Lekhnath Sharma Pathak; David Peeters; Gabriella Pizzuto; Baris Serhan; Linda Apse; Florian Hesse; Linh Hoang; Phuong Hoang; Yoko Igari; Keerthana Kapiley; Tamar Haupt-Khutsishvili; Sara Kolding; Katri Priiki; Ieva Mačiukaitytė; Vaisnavi Mohite; Tiina Nahkola; Sum Yi Tsoi; Stefan Williams; Shunei Yasuda; Angelo Cangelosi; Jon Andoni Duñabeitia; Ramesh Kumar Mishra; Roberta Rocca; Jurģis Šķilters; Mikkel Wallentin; Eglė Žilinskaitė-Šinkūnienė; Ozlem Durmaz Incel

doi:10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4

Spatial communication systems across languages reflect universal action constraints

Kenny R. Coventry, Harmen B. Gudde, Holger Diessel, Jacqueline Collier, Pedro Guijarro-Fuentes, Mila Vulchanova, Valentin Vulchanov, Emanuela Todisco, Maria Reile, Merlijn Breunesse, Helen Plado, Juergen Bohnemeyer, Raed Bsili, Michela Caldano, Rositsa Dekova, Katharine Donelson, Diana Forker, Yesol Park, Lekhnath Sharma Pathak, David PeetersGabriella Pizzuto, Baris Serhan, Linda Apse, Florian Hesse, Linh Hoang, Phuong Hoang, Yoko Igari, Keerthana Kapiley, Tamar Haupt-Khutsishvili, Sara Kolding, Katri Priiki, Ieva Mačiukaitytė, Vaisnavi Mohite, Tiina Nahkola, Sum Yi Tsoi, Stefan Williams, Shunei Yasuda, Angelo Cangelosi, Jon Andoni Duñabeitia, Ramesh Kumar Mishra, Roberta Rocca, Jurģis Šķilters, Mikkel Wallentin, Eglė Žilinskaitė-Šinkūnienė, Ozlem Durmaz Incel

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Abstract

The extent to which languages share properties reflecting the non-linguistic constraints of the speakers who speak them is key to the debate regarding the relationship between language and cognition. A critical case is spatial communication, where it has been argued that semantic universals should exist, if anywhere. Here, using an experimental paradigm able to separate variation within a language from variation between languages, we tested the use of spatial demonstratives—the most fundamental and frequent spatial terms across languages. In n = 874 speakers across 29 languages, we show that speakers of all tested languages use spatial demonstratives as a function of being able to reach or act on an object being referred to. In some languages, the position of the addressee is also relevant in selecting between demonstrative forms. Commonalities and differences across languages in spatial communication can be understood in terms of universal constraints on action shaping spatial language and cognition.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2099–2110
Number of pages	12
Journal	Nature Human Behaviour
Volume	7
Issue number	12
Early online date	30 Oct 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4
Publication status	Published - Dec 2023

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s41562-023-01697-4Final published version, 1.69 MBLicence: CC BY

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Coventry, K. R., Gudde, H. B., Diessel, H., Collier, J., Guijarro-Fuentes, P., Vulchanova, M., Vulchanov, V., Todisco, E., Reile, M., Breunesse, M., Plado, H., Bohnemeyer, J., Bsili, R., Caldano, M., Dekova, R., Donelson, K., Forker, D., Park, Y., Pathak, L. S., ... Incel, O. D. (2023). Spatial communication systems across languages reflect universal action constraints. Nature Human Behaviour, 7(12), 2099–2110. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4

@article{5fec657d9b494c02a1c1f26cb4a5e50a,

title = "Spatial communication systems across languages reflect universal action constraints",

abstract = "The extent to which languages share properties reflecting the non-linguistic constraints of the speakers who speak them is key to the debate regarding the relationship between language and cognition. A critical case is spatial communication, where it has been argued that semantic universals should exist, if anywhere. Here, using an experimental paradigm able to separate variation within a language from variation between languages, we tested the use of spatial demonstratives—the most fundamental and frequent spatial terms across languages. In n = 874 speakers across 29 languages, we show that speakers of all tested languages use spatial demonstratives as a function of being able to reach or act on an object being referred to. In some languages, the position of the addressee is also relevant in selecting between demonstrative forms. Commonalities and differences across languages in spatial communication can be understood in terms of universal constraints on action shaping spatial language and cognition.",

author = "Coventry, {Kenny R.} and Gudde, {Harmen B.} and Holger Diessel and Jacqueline Collier and Pedro Guijarro-Fuentes and Mila Vulchanova and Valentin Vulchanov and Emanuela Todisco and Maria Reile and Merlijn Breunesse and Helen Plado and Juergen Bohnemeyer and Raed Bsili and Michela Caldano and Rositsa Dekova and Katharine Donelson and Diana Forker and Yesol Park and Pathak, {Lekhnath Sharma} and David Peeters and Gabriella Pizzuto and Baris Serhan and Linda Apse and Florian Hesse and Linh Hoang and Phuong Hoang and Yoko Igari and Keerthana Kapiley and Tamar Haupt-Khutsishvili and Sara Kolding and Katri Priiki and Ieva Ma{\v c}iukaitytė and Vaisnavi Mohite and Tiina Nahkola and Tsoi, {Sum Yi} and Stefan Williams and Shunei Yasuda and Angelo Cangelosi and Du{\~n}abeitia, {Jon Andoni} and Mishra, {Ramesh Kumar} and Roberta Rocca and Jurģis {\v S}ķilters and Mikkel Wallentin and Eglė {\v Z}ilinskaitė-{\v S}inkūnienė and Incel, {Ozlem Durmaz}",

note = "Data availability: All data are available at the following link: https://osf.io/ush2w/view_only=1f38fa7ae6ce4bbab456eee80615ebe4. Code availability: All analysis code is available at the following link: https://osf.io/ush2w/?view_only=1f38fa7ae6ce4bbab456eee80615ebe4. Funding information: This research was supported by EU H2020 ITN Marie Sk{\l}odowska-Curie Action grant agreement no. 676063 (DCOMM) awarded to K.R.C. and colleagues. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.",

year = "2023",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4",

language = "English",

volume = "7",

pages = "2099–2110",

journal = "Nature Human Behaviour",

issn = "2397-3374",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "12",

}

Coventry, KR , Gudde, HB, Diessel, H, Collier, J, Guijarro-Fuentes, P, Vulchanova, M, Vulchanov, V, Todisco, E, Reile, M, Breunesse, M, Plado, H, Bohnemeyer, J, Bsili, R, Caldano, M, Dekova, R, Donelson, K, Forker, D, Park, Y, Pathak, LS, Peeters, D, Pizzuto, G, Serhan, B, Apse, L, Hesse, F, Hoang, L, Hoang, P, Igari, Y, Kapiley, K, Haupt-Khutsishvili, T, Kolding, S, Priiki, K, Mačiukaitytė, I, Mohite, V, Nahkola, T, Tsoi, SY, Williams, S, Yasuda, S, Cangelosi, A, Duñabeitia, JA, Mishra, RK, Rocca, R, Šķilters, J, Wallentin, M, Žilinskaitė-Šinkūnienė, E & Incel, OD 2023, 'Spatial communication systems across languages reflect universal action constraints', Nature Human Behaviour, vol. 7, no. 12, pp. 2099–2110. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4

TY - JOUR

T1 - Spatial communication systems across languages reflect universal action constraints

AU - Coventry, Kenny R.

AU - Gudde, Harmen B.

AU - Diessel, Holger

AU - Collier, Jacqueline

AU - Guijarro-Fuentes, Pedro

AU - Vulchanova, Mila

AU - Vulchanov, Valentin

AU - Todisco, Emanuela

AU - Reile, Maria

AU - Breunesse, Merlijn

AU - Plado, Helen

AU - Bohnemeyer, Juergen

AU - Bsili, Raed

AU - Caldano, Michela

AU - Dekova, Rositsa

AU - Donelson, Katharine

AU - Forker, Diana

AU - Park, Yesol

AU - Pathak, Lekhnath Sharma

AU - Peeters, David

AU - Pizzuto, Gabriella

AU - Serhan, Baris

AU - Apse, Linda

AU - Hesse, Florian

AU - Hoang, Linh

AU - Hoang, Phuong

AU - Igari, Yoko

AU - Kapiley, Keerthana

AU - Haupt-Khutsishvili, Tamar

AU - Kolding, Sara

AU - Priiki, Katri

AU - Mačiukaitytė, Ieva

AU - Mohite, Vaisnavi

AU - Nahkola, Tiina

AU - Tsoi, Sum Yi

AU - Williams, Stefan

AU - Yasuda, Shunei

AU - Cangelosi, Angelo

AU - Duñabeitia, Jon Andoni

AU - Mishra, Ramesh Kumar

AU - Rocca, Roberta

AU - Šķilters, Jurģis

AU - Wallentin, Mikkel

AU - Žilinskaitė-Šinkūnienė, Eglė

AU - Incel, Ozlem Durmaz

N1 - Data availability: All data are available at the following link: https://osf.io/ush2w/view_only=1f38fa7ae6ce4bbab456eee80615ebe4. Code availability: All analysis code is available at the following link: https://osf.io/ush2w/?view_only=1f38fa7ae6ce4bbab456eee80615ebe4. Funding information: This research was supported by EU H2020 ITN Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action grant agreement no. 676063 (DCOMM) awarded to K.R.C. and colleagues. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

PY - 2023/12

Y1 - 2023/12

N2 - The extent to which languages share properties reflecting the non-linguistic constraints of the speakers who speak them is key to the debate regarding the relationship between language and cognition. A critical case is spatial communication, where it has been argued that semantic universals should exist, if anywhere. Here, using an experimental paradigm able to separate variation within a language from variation between languages, we tested the use of spatial demonstratives—the most fundamental and frequent spatial terms across languages. In n = 874 speakers across 29 languages, we show that speakers of all tested languages use spatial demonstratives as a function of being able to reach or act on an object being referred to. In some languages, the position of the addressee is also relevant in selecting between demonstrative forms. Commonalities and differences across languages in spatial communication can be understood in terms of universal constraints on action shaping spatial language and cognition.

AB - The extent to which languages share properties reflecting the non-linguistic constraints of the speakers who speak them is key to the debate regarding the relationship between language and cognition. A critical case is spatial communication, where it has been argued that semantic universals should exist, if anywhere. Here, using an experimental paradigm able to separate variation within a language from variation between languages, we tested the use of spatial demonstratives—the most fundamental and frequent spatial terms across languages. In n = 874 speakers across 29 languages, we show that speakers of all tested languages use spatial demonstratives as a function of being able to reach or act on an object being referred to. In some languages, the position of the addressee is also relevant in selecting between demonstrative forms. Commonalities and differences across languages in spatial communication can be understood in terms of universal constraints on action shaping spatial language and cognition.

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U2 - 10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4

DO - 10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4

M3 - Article

VL - 7

SP - 2099

EP - 2110

JO - Nature Human Behaviour

JF - Nature Human Behaviour

SN - 2397-3374

IS - 12

ER -

Spatial communication systems across languages reflect universal action constraints

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Deictic Communication – A Multidisciplinary Training

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Spatial communication systems across languages reflect universal action constraints

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Deictic Communication – A Multidisciplinary Training

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