Volume 45, Issue 3

The author investigates the use of proto-article with locative nouns in the Gothic Bible and shows that the choice in Gothic among the anaphoric pronoun sa (proto-article) and Ø is pragmatically/functionally motivated. The locative nouns are mostly inherently definite and unmarked because of being elements of the frame in natural discourse. However, the anaphoric pronoun is used with unexpected locative objects or locative objects in surprising situations. It also marks the change NomLoc as ground > NomLoc as figure and serves as a highlighting device and as an attention-getter. When the topic-continuity is violated, the anaphoric pronoun is used as an invitation addressed to the hearer to mobilize previous knowledge in order to retrieve the referent. The investigation sheds light on the process of language change that led to the shift from demonstrative to article and the overall spread of anaphoric article.

Will social bots change our current understanding of linguistic communication? Will synthetic speech still be distinguishable from human expressions? Are neural algorithms superseding conventional arguments in their communicative impact? Further: Isn't it already the case that software functionally outmatches language(s)? Outlined in 12 theses, this essay argues for the need to research “disruption” in the setting of the flourishing subject of media linguistics: In how far is our culturally-shaped language being “disrupted”, i. e. “destructed with creative potential”, through digitalisation? What forms of human-machine co-evolutions will be established instead? Moreover: Will language still be the foundation and engine for our cultural evolution? Or will communication change from being “human-centric” to becoming “data-centric”? Werden mit uns interagierende Roboter unser bisheriges Verständnis von sprachbasierter Verständigung verändern? Werden synthetisierte Sprach-Imitate von menschlichen Äußerungen kaum mehr zu unterscheiden sein? Sind netzbasierte Algorithmen kommunikativ wirkungsvoller als Argumente? Und: Ist Software nicht längst Sprache(n) funktional überlegen? Vor dem Hintergrund einer aufblühenden Medienlinguistik plädiert der Essay in 12 Thesen für eine linguistische Disruptions-Forschung: Inwieweit wird unsere tradierte Sprachkultur von der Digitalisierung „disruptiv“, d. h. „kreativ zerstört“? Welche Formen der Ko-evolution zwischen Mensch und Maschine etablieren sich stattdessen? Und: Bleibt Sprache Basis und Motor unserer kulturellen Evolution? Oder tritt an Stelle einer „homozentrischen“ eine „datazentrische“ Kommunikation?