Chenghao Zhu, George M. Jacobs, Xiaobao Cao, Ingrid A. Gavilan Tatin, Lingling Li, Hailong Li, Meng Huat Chau
Ecolinguistics explores the role of language in shaping the life-sustaining interactions among humans, other species, and the physical environment. However, research on how language is used to describe, relate to, or frame nonhuman animals remains limited, particularly from a diachronic perspective. This study constitutes the first attempt to examine the use of the possessive pronoun “whose” with nonhuman animals through an ecolinguistic lens. The investigation involves an analysis of entries in reference works (i.e., dictionaries, grammar references both for scholars and for learners, and writing manuals) and a diachronic corpus study based on the Corpus of Historical American English (1820–2019). Results show that while the use of “whose” with nonhuman animals is considered acceptable in most reference works, some sources still describe it as normally used only with humans. The corpus analysis reveals that over the past two centuries, the frequency of “whose” with nonhuman animals has declined noticeably but has maintained a consistent proportion relative to the overall use of “whose,” regardless of referent. Changes in the use of “whose” with selected words representing different animals were explored. Overall, this study suggests that the use of “whose” with nonhuman animals reflects enduring anthropocentric perspectives; yet it also shows promising changes. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd
Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China; Kampung Senang Charity and Education Foundation, Singapore; University of Macao, China; Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Zhejiang International Studies University, China
