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Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages

What constitutes a language? Natural languages share some features with other domains: from math, to music, to gesture. However, the brain mechanisms that process linguistic input are highly specialized, showing little or no response to diverse non-linguistic tasks. Here, we examine constructed lang...

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Autores principales: Malik-Moraleda, Saima, Taliaferro, Maya, Shannon, Steve, Jhingan, Niharika, Swords, Sara, Peterson, David J., Frommer, Paul, Okrand, Marc, Sams, Jessie, Cardwell, Ramsey, Freeman, Cassie, Fedorenko, Evelina
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10402139/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37546901
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.28.550667
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author Malik-Moraleda, Saima
Taliaferro, Maya
Shannon, Steve
Jhingan, Niharika
Swords, Sara
Peterson, David J.
Frommer, Paul
Okrand, Marc
Sams, Jessie
Cardwell, Ramsey
Freeman, Cassie
Fedorenko, Evelina
author_facet Malik-Moraleda, Saima
Taliaferro, Maya
Shannon, Steve
Jhingan, Niharika
Swords, Sara
Peterson, David J.
Frommer, Paul
Okrand, Marc
Sams, Jessie
Cardwell, Ramsey
Freeman, Cassie
Fedorenko, Evelina
author_sort Malik-Moraleda, Saima
collection PubMed
description What constitutes a language? Natural languages share some features with other domains: from math, to music, to gesture. However, the brain mechanisms that process linguistic input are highly specialized, showing little or no response to diverse non-linguistic tasks. Here, we examine constructed languages (conlangs) to ask whether they draw on the same neural mechanisms as natural languages, or whether they instead pattern with domains like math and logic. Using individual-subject fMRI analyses, we show that understanding conlangs recruits the same brain areas as natural language comprehension. This result holds for Esperanto (n=19 speakers)— created to resemble natural languages—and fictional conlangs (Klingon (n=10), Na’vi (n=9), High Valyrian (n=3), and Dothraki (n=3)), created to differ from natural languages, and suggests that conlangs and natural languages share critical features and that the notable differences between conlangs and natural language are not consequential for the cognitive and neural mechanisms that they engage.
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spelling pubmed-104021392023-08-05 Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages Malik-Moraleda, Saima Taliaferro, Maya Shannon, Steve Jhingan, Niharika Swords, Sara Peterson, David J. Frommer, Paul Okrand, Marc Sams, Jessie Cardwell, Ramsey Freeman, Cassie Fedorenko, Evelina bioRxiv Article What constitutes a language? Natural languages share some features with other domains: from math, to music, to gesture. However, the brain mechanisms that process linguistic input are highly specialized, showing little or no response to diverse non-linguistic tasks. Here, we examine constructed languages (conlangs) to ask whether they draw on the same neural mechanisms as natural languages, or whether they instead pattern with domains like math and logic. Using individual-subject fMRI analyses, we show that understanding conlangs recruits the same brain areas as natural language comprehension. This result holds for Esperanto (n=19 speakers)— created to resemble natural languages—and fictional conlangs (Klingon (n=10), Na’vi (n=9), High Valyrian (n=3), and Dothraki (n=3)), created to differ from natural languages, and suggests that conlangs and natural languages share critical features and that the notable differences between conlangs and natural language are not consequential for the cognitive and neural mechanisms that they engage. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2023-07-28 /pmc/articles/PMC10402139/ /pubmed/37546901 http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.28.550667 Text en https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) , which allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
spellingShingle Article
Malik-Moraleda, Saima
Taliaferro, Maya
Shannon, Steve
Jhingan, Niharika
Swords, Sara
Peterson, David J.
Frommer, Paul
Okrand, Marc
Sams, Jessie
Cardwell, Ramsey
Freeman, Cassie
Fedorenko, Evelina
Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages
title Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages
title_full Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages
title_fullStr Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages
title_full_unstemmed Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages
title_short Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages
title_sort constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10402139/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37546901
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.28.550667
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