37.1191, Books: Ultralingualism: Rosowsky (2026)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-1191. Tue Mar 24 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.1191, Books: Ultralingualism: Rosowsky (2026)

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Date: 20-Mar-2026
From: Lucy Trotter [lucy.trotter at bloomsbury.com]
Subject: Ultralingualism: Rosowsky (2026)


Title: Ultralingualism
Subtitle: The Disassociation of Language from Meaning
Publication Year: 2026

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
           http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/
Book URL: https://www.bloomsbury.com/ultralingualism-9781350444584/

Author(s): Andrey Rosowsky

Hardback, ISBN: 9781350444584, Price: £95.00

Abstract:

This book offers an introduction to the commonly observed, but
generally ignored or misrepresented, practice of using language when
referential (semantic) meaning is problematic, partial or even absent.
The concept and term 'ultralingualism' accounts for language
performance or use where meaning in the conventional sense lies
elsewhere to, or beyond (ultra-), the performer and/or the
listener/audience. This book argues for the adoption of the term
'ultralingualism' as an important and previously absent heuristic as a
means of capturing the diverse language practices where this language
phenomenon occurs.
The book adopts a dynamic and inter-disciplinary theoretical framework
that encompasses a range of complementary approaches: linguistic sound
or the 'sonic' element of language (real and invented),
non-semantic/non-referential language usage, post-vernacular
performance, Bauman's heightened performance theory, the ethics of
translation, theories linking language and music, and language
maintenance and shift theory.
The author presents a range of contexts where ultralingualism can be
found including in religious, musical, multilingual literacy,
academic, artistic/creative (including popular music) and language
revival settings. He shares multifaceted data that illustrate how and
why ultralingualism manifests itself in diverse contexts, including
interview data; field notes from a number of observations of both live
and online ultralingual performances; questionnaire data surveying and
documentary exemplifying educational ultralingualism; a review of
related literature; personal communications; and analyses of digital
texts featuring ultralingualism (including YouTube performances and
their BTL comments), and argues that despite the absence of
referential meaning, meaning-making still occurs.

Linguistic Field(s): Anthropological Linguistics
                     General Linguistics
                     Sociolinguistics




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