Environmental Linguistics

Abstract

Environmental linguistics is an emerging field at the intersection of linguistics and natural sciences. It recognizes the mutual relationship between cultural and ecological diversity, documenting linguistic structures and verbal practices by which speakers conceptualize, encode, and transmit knowledge about the natural world. It surpasses the largely metaphorical and narrative program of ecolinguistics to position language as the preeminent conceptual framework and channel for environmental knowledge. Natural phenomena—as Indigenous experts explain—cannot be understood apart from the languages that encode them, and vice versa. Language diversity is thus the key to safeguarding biodiversity and a balanced human relationship with nature. Environmental linguistics helps decolonize linguistics as our field evolves to prioritize knowledge coproduction over data extraction. Examples from my fieldwork in Tuva cover six domains of knowledge: landscapes, lifeforms, time, sound, memory, and survival. This article reviews recent literature from many cultures, emphasizing works by Indigenous authors.