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

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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
Journal	Nature Human Behaviour
Early online date	30 Oct 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 30 Oct 2023

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

Cite this

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. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4

Coventry, Kenny R. ; Gudde, Harmen B. ; Diessel, Holger ; Collier, Jacqueline ; Guijarro-Fuentes, Pedro ; Vulchanova, Mila ; Vulchanov, Valentin ; Todisco, Emanuela ; Reile, Maria ; Breunesse, Merlijn ; Plado, Helen ; Bohnemeyer, Juergen ; Bsili, Raed ; Caldano, Michela ; Dekova, Rositsa ; Donelson, Katharine ; Forker, Diana ; Park, Yesol ; Pathak, Lekhnath Sharma ; Peeters, David ; Pizzuto, Gabriella ; Serhan, Baris ; Apse, Linda ; Hesse, Florian ; Hoang, Linh ; Hoang, Phuong ; Igari, Yoko ; Kapiley, Keerthana ; Haupt-Khutsishvili, Tamar ; Kolding, Sara ; Priiki, Katri ; Mačiukaitytė, Ieva ; Mohite, Vaisnavi ; Nahkola, Tiina ; Tsoi, Sum Yi ; Williams, Stefan ; Yasuda, Shunei ; Cangelosi, Angelo ; Duñabeitia, Jon Andoni ; Mishra, Ramesh Kumar ; Rocca, Roberta ; Šķilters, Jurģis ; Wallentin, Mikkel ; Žilinskaitė-Šinkūnienė, Eglė ; Incel, Ozlem Durmaz. / Spatial communication systems across languages reflect universal action constraints. In: Nature Human Behaviour. 2023.

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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.",

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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. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01697-4

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

In: Nature Human Behaviour, 30.10.2023.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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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

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