Linguistic Human Categorization: Drawing Boundaries between Humans and Animals in Discourse, Lexicon, and Grammar (C01)

• Subject Area: German Literary and Cultural Studies (Modern German Literature)
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 442261292

This project investigates how linguistic boundaries between human beings and animals are drawn. This boundary-making takes places on the discursive, lexical, onymic, and grammatical level, and has become increasingly rigid over time. Two key questions will be addressed: 1) What means are utilized in drawing the human/animal boundary? 2) What kind of upgradings and downgradings across this boundary can be achieved and by what techniques (e.g., referring to a pet as one’s baby and to refugees as cockroaches)? This project analyzes the linguistic humanization of animals as well as the racializing animalization of humans.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1482: Studies in Human Categorization
• Applicant Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Damaris Nübling