New frontiers in linguistic research: Eliminating the challenges of understanding the genetics of language through bioinformatics

Abstract

Abstract The contemporary research in linguistics aims to forge an understanding of consilience by evading the stereotypic semantic studies in linguistics. Modern linguistics calls for understanding language evolution, language production, and language disorders in association with neuro-genetic studies. To undertake genetic trials, language scholars from the humanities and social sciences disciplines have constraints like funding, inaccessibility to genetic labs, and ethical issues over biological bodies. To resolve the constraints and to enhance extensive knowledge on the genetic association with language, this article employs bioinformatics tools, namely the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and the Sorting Intolerant From Tolerant (SIFT). Through the BLAST tool, the article aids the language researcher to understand language evolution, and through the application of SIFT, the article highlights mutation points in the gene of a severe speech disorder. Finally, the article emphasizes the inclusion of bioinformatics in the field of humanities and social sciences with respect to language studies