Diversity in representing space within and between language communities

Abstract Few areas of cognition are as fundamental to our lives representing physical space. However, the way languages represent space varies widely, does non-linguistic spatial behavior. Research on language casts light relationship between and conceptual structure, across linguistic modalities. Most research in this domain treats individual data points, typologizing them basis of, for example, preferred frame reference, such egocentric viewpoint-based relative FoR (terms like left right ), versus a geocentric or absolute north south ). The papers special collection demonstrate that considerable variation exists within well communities, diverse array factors interacts drive variation, from terrain group-level cultural practices associations, demographic diversity innate cognitive biases. Drawing notion sociotopography (Palmer, Bill, Jonathon Lum, Jonathan Schlossberg & Alice Gaby. 2017. How environment shape language? Evidence sociotopography. Linguistic Typology 21(3). 457–491), explore interaction behavior beyond.