(M)other tongue: how Global South multilingual practices allow uncovering multilingualisms beneath the invented monolingual European Self

This paper, part of a collection on the Othering of multilinguals in linguistics, explores Othering from the perspective of Global South societies, in which multilingualism is commonly perceived through Eurocentric lenses prevalent in cognitive science and linguistics. The paper critically examines these viewpoints through describing the effects of processes of Othering, focusing particularly on the invention of the European Self as a crucial component of Othering, drawing on critical theory and postcolonial studies, especially the works of Édouard Glissant and Gayatri Spivak. The first process of Othering involves describing the non-European Other using Eurocentric concepts, whose applicability to Global South contexts needs to be challenged. However, merely critiquing these concepts within the Self-Other framework fails to address the need to deconstruct the European Self, invented as part of the Othering process. The constructedness of the European Self itself emphasises the need for a paradigm shift in linguistics that acknowledges the inadequacy of current analytical frameworks. This need is compounded by the effects of Othering on the self-perception of the Other, which compels them to perceive themselves through external lenses, to contribute to the colonial library and to perpetuate colonial viewpoints. The paper advocates a recalibration of ontologies, epistemologies, and methodologies in the description of multilingualism across all settings. By dismantling the notion of the monolingual European Self, the road is paved towards normalising dynamic and fluid multilingualisms, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of multilingualism worldwide based on convivial research paradigms.