Large language models are not about language

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2512.13441v1
• Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:36:42 GMT
• Title: Large language models are not about language
• Authors: Johan J. Bolhuis, Andrea Moro, Stephen Crain, Sandiway Fong,
• Abstract summary: Human language is underpinned by a mind-internal computational system that generates hierarchical thought structures.<n>The language system grows with minimal external input and can readily distinguish between real language and impossible languages.
• Score: 0.0
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: Large Language Models are useless for linguistics, as they are probabilistic models that require a vast amount of data to analyse externalized strings of words. In contrast, human language is underpinned by a mind-internal computational system that recursively generates hierarchical thought structures. The language system grows with minimal external input and can readily distinguish between real language and impossible languages.

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