A Pointer Theory of Language and Concept Formation — Meaning Is Not Stored Anywhere —

This paper presents a pointer theory of language and concept formation. Here, “meaning” is not a stored object but a transient cognitive state generated by the recipient. Linguistic expressions do not store or transmit meaning; instead, they function as low-bandwidth pointers that activate already-compressed cognitive structures. The theory defines concepts as the product of pointers and internal data structures, and introduces NULL pointers and a two-level architecture. Within a single computational framework, the model accounts for the symbol grounding problem, the inevitability of misunderstanding, the qualia gap, and structural differences between human cognition and large language models (LLMs).