What is linguistics?
- The scientific study of human language
Inhoudsopgave
1; the origins language...........................................................................................................................2
2; animals and human language.............................................................................................................3
3; the sound patterns of language / phonology......................................................................................4
4; word formation..................................................................................................................................5
5; morphology........................................................................................................................................6
6; grammar.............................................................................................................................................7
7; syntax.................................................................................................................................................8
8; semantics............................................................................................................................................9
9; pragmatics........................................................................................................................................10
10; discourse analysis...........................................................................................................................11
11; first language acquisition................................................................................................................12
12; second language acquisition/learning............................................................................................13
13; language and the brain...................................................................................................................14
14; language history and change..........................................................................................................15
15; language and regional variation.....................................................................................................16
16 + 17; sociolinguistics........................................................................................................................17
,1; the origins language
Source Description + example
Divine source Humans were given language by an all-powerful spiritual being.
- Language is so complex
Natural sound source Language came from copying sounds from the physical environment
- English has words like “oink” and “moo”.
- Theory that relies on imitation.
Genetic source Humans are born with a special innate capacity for language due to
hereditary mutation.
- Children seem to learn effortlessly.
Tool-making source Brain development allowed humans to use bodily parts for new
purposes.
- Human language requires a complex lateralized brain.
- Theory related to organizing and combining elements.
Physical adaptation source Language came from changes to human bodies (lips, tongue and
larynx) that allowed us to make speech sounds.
- Humans can talk but apes can’t.
Social interaction source Language evolved from physical grunts that humans made while
working together.
- People use language to communicate.
- Theory related to acts of physical exertion.
, 2; animals and human language
Property Description + example (human)
Reflexivity A special property of human language that allows the language to be used to think
and talk about the language itself.
- A parent asks a child to speak in a softer voice.
Arbitrariness Describing the fact that there is no natural connection between a linguistic form
and its meaning (so not onomatopoeias)
- De word ‘dog’ does not have any properties that are related to the object
it describes.
Displacement Allows users to talk about things and events not present in the immediate
environment.
- A boy might tell his friend about a movie he watched yesterday.
Productivity Allows users to create new expressions.
- Speakers can come up with new words for productions or actions (search
engine > Google)
Duality Whereby linguistics forms have 2 simultaneous levels of sound productions and
meaning.
- English is made up of words which are made up of combinations of 44
phonemes. There is no meaning for a specific phoneme.
Cultural Whereby knowledge of a language is passed from one generation to the next.
transmission - Babies learn the language that their caregivers speak.
Some examples that go against and consistent with certain properties:
1. Bees direct other bees to food goes against displacement.
2. Ape signs ‘water + bird’ for ‘swan’ goes against productivity.
3. Birds don’t learn songs not heard from parents goes against cultural transmission.
4. Ape can use blue triangle for ‘apple’ goes against arbitrariness.
5. Birds use pleasant songs to attract mates, consistent with arbitrariness.
6. Dogs don’t bark about how they bark, consistent with reflexivity.
7. Birds don’t sing about what they ate the day before, consistent with displacement.
- The scientific study of human language
Inhoudsopgave
1; the origins language...........................................................................................................................2
2; animals and human language.............................................................................................................3
3; the sound patterns of language / phonology......................................................................................4
4; word formation..................................................................................................................................5
5; morphology........................................................................................................................................6
6; grammar.............................................................................................................................................7
7; syntax.................................................................................................................................................8
8; semantics............................................................................................................................................9
9; pragmatics........................................................................................................................................10
10; discourse analysis...........................................................................................................................11
11; first language acquisition................................................................................................................12
12; second language acquisition/learning............................................................................................13
13; language and the brain...................................................................................................................14
14; language history and change..........................................................................................................15
15; language and regional variation.....................................................................................................16
16 + 17; sociolinguistics........................................................................................................................17
,1; the origins language
Source Description + example
Divine source Humans were given language by an all-powerful spiritual being.
- Language is so complex
Natural sound source Language came from copying sounds from the physical environment
- English has words like “oink” and “moo”.
- Theory that relies on imitation.
Genetic source Humans are born with a special innate capacity for language due to
hereditary mutation.
- Children seem to learn effortlessly.
Tool-making source Brain development allowed humans to use bodily parts for new
purposes.
- Human language requires a complex lateralized brain.
- Theory related to organizing and combining elements.
Physical adaptation source Language came from changes to human bodies (lips, tongue and
larynx) that allowed us to make speech sounds.
- Humans can talk but apes can’t.
Social interaction source Language evolved from physical grunts that humans made while
working together.
- People use language to communicate.
- Theory related to acts of physical exertion.
, 2; animals and human language
Property Description + example (human)
Reflexivity A special property of human language that allows the language to be used to think
and talk about the language itself.
- A parent asks a child to speak in a softer voice.
Arbitrariness Describing the fact that there is no natural connection between a linguistic form
and its meaning (so not onomatopoeias)
- De word ‘dog’ does not have any properties that are related to the object
it describes.
Displacement Allows users to talk about things and events not present in the immediate
environment.
- A boy might tell his friend about a movie he watched yesterday.
Productivity Allows users to create new expressions.
- Speakers can come up with new words for productions or actions (search
engine > Google)
Duality Whereby linguistics forms have 2 simultaneous levels of sound productions and
meaning.
- English is made up of words which are made up of combinations of 44
phonemes. There is no meaning for a specific phoneme.
Cultural Whereby knowledge of a language is passed from one generation to the next.
transmission - Babies learn the language that their caregivers speak.
Some examples that go against and consistent with certain properties:
1. Bees direct other bees to food goes against displacement.
2. Ape signs ‘water + bird’ for ‘swan’ goes against productivity.
3. Birds don’t learn songs not heard from parents goes against cultural transmission.
4. Ape can use blue triangle for ‘apple’ goes against arbitrariness.
5. Birds use pleasant songs to attract mates, consistent with arbitrariness.
6. Dogs don’t bark about how they bark, consistent with reflexivity.
7. Birds don’t sing about what they ate the day before, consistent with displacement.
