Exolinguistics

Exolinguistics is the theoretical and generally speculative study of what alien langauges might be like, and how might alien languages might differ from human languages. It is difficult to say for certain how alien languages might differ from human languages, as we have no direct experience with aliens or extraterrestrial languages. However, it is likely that there would be some fundamental differences, given that the physical, cognitive, and social characteristics of aliens would likely be quite different from those of humans.

Some potential differences between human and alien languages could include the following.

Phonology

The sounds used in alien languages would likely be very different, as their speech organs would probbably be different from ours. Aliens might use sounds that are beyond the range of human hearing, or that are produced in different ways, e.g., through specialized organs or appendages.

Grammar and lexeemes

The structure of words and sentences may differ. Alien languages might have very different ways of combining sounds or symbols to create words and sentences, and assuming their languages have grammar, their grammar may be organized in a fundamentally different manner from human language grammar.

Prosody

Aliens might use variations in pitch, rhythm, or other acoustic features in ways that are very different from human languages.

Paralingistics

The role of body language and other nonverbal cues will likely differ from how humans use such cues. Alien languages might rely more heavily, or much less so, on nonverbal cues for conveying meaning, and they might use such cues in very different ways.

Cognition

The relationship between language and thought may differ. Alien languages might reflect the cognitive processes and thought patterns of aliens in ways that are very different from human languages. This could include different ways their brains are organized, or differences in how quickly they process and produce langauge compared to human langauge production.

It is also possible that some features of human language might be universal, and might be found in some form in alien languages as well. For example, human languages use basic segmental sounds--vowels and consonants, and generally make use of intonation at some level. Human languages also use basic grammatical forms and structures (such as nouns and verbs) in similar ways. Such basic features would likely grant evolutionarily advantages for communication on any planet with conditions comparable to those of Earth, and so such features might arise independently in alien languages as well. For life forms from planets with very different environmental conditions, then there might be very little or no commonality in these fundamental features.