glossolalia

Glossolalia, from Greek glossa "tongue" and lalia "speech," refers to vocal utterances that resemble language but do not form a recognizable natural language for the speaker or listeners. It is most commonly associated with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christian worship, where it is understood as a manifestation of divine presence or as a form of prayer.

In linguistic terms, glossolalia usually produces fluent-sounding syllables or sounds without conventional syntax or semantics; some utterances may approximate phonotactic constraints of the speaker's language. It is sometimes accompanied by ecstatic behavior, prayer, or inspiration, and in groups may be followed by interpretation that claims to reveal meaning.

Other contexts include non-religious or clinical settings; individuals may experience glossolalia during meditation, trance, or psychotherapeutic-like situations. Not all non-religious glossolalia is the same, and meanings may vary across communities.

Research in sociology and linguistics has examined glossolalia to understand the social functions of religious expression and the ways groups shape interpretation and behavior. Content is typically not intelligible to outsiders, and some researchers distinguish between glossolalia and xenoglossia—speech in a real foreign language believed to be unknown to the speaker. While most religious glossolalia is considered voluntary and non-pathological, similar vocalizations can appear in certain psychiatric conditions, underscoring ongoing debate about its nature and significance.