Ariekei Language in China Miéville's "Embassytown"

ChatGPT has forgotten what an Ariekei Host looks like...

A discussion with ChatGPT about the strange Language of the alien Ariekei in China Miéville's SF novel, "Embassytown" - which I am re-reading.

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Me: "In China Mieville's SF novel, "Embassytown", the Hosts, the Ariekei, have a very strange language which provides the momentum for the plot. Could you summarise the main technical features of this language? My questions include: why two simultaneous speakers (the Ambassadors), why is it difficult-to-impossible to lie in the language (is it because Language is non-referential?), could such a language even have a formal semantics (in the sense of mathematical logic)?"

ChatGPT:

In "Embassytown" by China Miéville, the Ariekei (or Hosts) use a unique form of communication simply called "Language." This Language has several key features that drive the novel’s plot and explore questions of meaning, reference, and truth.

1. Dual Voicing:

The Ariekei have two vocal organs, allowing them to speak with two distinct voices simultaneously. For the Hosts to understand, both voices must be speaking in perfect harmony. Humans, to communicate with the Ariekei, require Ambassadors—specially trained pairs of humans who can synchronize their speech so perfectly that they mimic the two-voiced utterances of the Ariekei. The necessity of dual voicing underscores the complexity and alien nature of the Hosts' perception and communication.

2. Difficulty of Lying:

In Ariekei Language, words are tied directly to reality in a literal way, which makes lying nearly impossible. Their Language is more than symbolic; it is deeply entwined with truth and the speaker's reality. For the Ariekei, Language does not merely describe or refer to things, it is an expression of direct experience. Because of this, abstract concepts or statements that don't correspond to their lived reality (such as lies or fictional stories) are incomprehensible to them.

3. Non-Referential Nature: 

The Language of the Ariekei does not function the same way human languages do in terms of referentiality. Human languages rely on symbols (words) to refer to things or concepts, and we can manipulate these symbols abstractly. In contrast, the Ariekei Language is directly tied to their perception of the world—words are not just labels for objects or ideas but are bound up in the actuality of those objects or ideas. Because of this direct relationship, abstract thought, metaphor, or lies are challenging for them to conceptualize in Language.

4. Formal Semantics: 

The Language of the Ariekei would likely not be amenable to a formal semantics as understood in mathematical logic. Formal semantics in logic relies on abstract symbols and the relationship between signs (syntax) and their meanings (semantics) through truth conditions. The Ariekei Language, however, seems resistant to this kind of abstraction. Since their words are directly tied to reality and not merely referential signs, a formal semantics in the usual sense would be difficult to apply. However, the novel does explore the way their Language is broken and transformed by introducing ambiguity and metaphor, suggesting that under certain conditions, their Language can evolve to allow for more abstract and flexible use, potentially edging towards something more like human languages with formal semantics.

These features make the Language of the Ariekei a central theme in the novel, exploring how language shapes thought and reality, and how fundamental linguistic shifts can have dramatic effects on a society.

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Me: "In linguistics, what is the term for forms of communication like cries of pain, or expressions of joy? These are direct linguistic indicators, unmediated by conceptual processing, and are generally held to be intrinsically accurate communications of the utterer's emotional state. I wonder whether this is a good analogy to Ariekei Language?"

ChatGPT: 

In linguistics, forms of communication like cries of pain, expressions of joy, or other involuntary emotional sounds are often referred to as "non-referential expressions" or "affective utterances." These are examples of "natural expressions" or "expressive language," meaning they directly convey emotional or physical states without the need for conceptual mediation. They are typically spontaneous, involuntary, and tied closely to the speaker's immediate experience. Examples include laughter, sobbing, or a shout of surprise.

These utterances are considered intrinsically accurate because they reflect the speaker's emotional or physical state in a way that does not rely on abstract or symbolic processing. They differ from propositional or referential language, which involves symbols (words) used to describe or refer to objects, concepts, or ideas, and can be subject to misrepresentation or manipulation.

Analogy to Ariekei Language:

The Ariekei Language in "Embassytown" shares some similarities with these affective utterances. Both are:

- Directly tied to experience: Just as a cry of pain reflects a direct physical experience, the Ariekei Language is intrinsically linked to reality and their perception of it. Their words aren’t symbols standing in for things; they are expressions of those things.

- Resistant to abstraction: Non-referential expressions don’t allow for the kind of abstraction or manipulation that referential language does (e.g., you can’t "lie" with a scream of pain). Similarly, the Ariekei struggle with metaphor, fiction, and lying, as their Language is bound to real-world, immediate experience.

However, there are key differences. The Ariekei Language is highly complex, with specific syntactic structures and a dual-voiced system, making it a far more elaborate form of communication than basic affective utterances. Additionally, the Ariekei Language is fully grammatical and capable of conveying sophisticated ideas, unlike the spontaneous cries or affective sounds that humans produce.

So, while affective utterances provide a useful analogy to how the Ariekei Language is tied to reality and difficult to abstract, the Language itself is more advanced and structured than these simple expressions of emotion.

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I thought that was helpful. I'm wondering whether "Embassytown" is really a fantastical allegory of the British-Chinese Opium Wars.