Download LINGUISTICS 200: Introduction to Linguistic Thought

Key Attributes of Human
Language
This PP presentation uses several graphics and
examples from similar material created by Dr. Alicia
Wassink, University of Washington, for her introductory
linguistics course. I have edited and adapted it for
English 301. (August 2007)
Points of Focus
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Seeing language as a set of rules
Distinguishing linguistic competence vs.
linguistic performance
Naming attributes of
language
Separating animal
communication from
human language
Identifying fields of linguistic
study
Linguistic competence

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What we know when we “know” a
language.
This knowledge is largely unconscious.
How do we study linguistic
competence?
By observing a
speaker’s linguistic
performance.
How Grammar Works
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Prescriptive grammar
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Prescribes rules governing what people
should/shouldn’t say
Descriptive grammar
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Describes the rules that govern what people
do or can say (their “mental grammar”)
Prescriptive Rules
“Don’t end a sentence with a
preposition!”
“Don’t split infinitives!”
“Don’t use double negatives!”
Descriptive Rules
In English sentences, words follow
a predictable order.
The boat sailed away.
*Sailed boat away the.
Summing up this point
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Descriptive rules are linguists’ attempt to
represent your mental grammar. They
are
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natural
followed intuitively
need not be taught
Prescriptive rules are
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not natural
must be learned by rote (in school)
Naming Language Features
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Goal: Characterize language, distinguish
it from other communication systems
Caveat: If a system lacks even one
feature, it is communication, not language
Language Attributes
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Discreteness
Arbitrariness
Cultural transmission
Displacement
Productivity (AKA Creativity)
Discreteness

Larger, complex messages can be broken
down into smaller, discrete parts
e.g., [pat]
[tap]
p
a
t
[apt]
Arbitrariness

There is no (necessary) connection
between the form of signal and its
meaning
e.g., whale is a small word for big animal,
microorganism is just the reverse
Cultural transmission

At least some aspect of communication
system is learned from other users
e.g., child of Italian-speaking parents will
first speak Italian
Displacement
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Ability to talk about things not present in
space or time
e.g., “The Dutch bought
Manhattan from the
Native Americans
for $24.”
Productivity

Speakers can create an infinite number of
novel utterances that others can
understand
Elvis
lives!!
e.g., “Little purple gnomes
living in my sock drawer
said, ‘Elvis lives’.”
/
Animal Communication

Does not include displacement, arbitrariness or
most of the other features of HUMAN language.
Aspects of Language
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Human language consists of several
levels or dimensions of knowledge
These dimensions are used by linguists to
separate language into separate areas of
study
Core Subfields
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Phonetics
Phonology
Morphology
Syntax
Semantics
Pragmatics
Phonetics and Phonology
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Phonetics: the study of individual units of
sound
e.g., “ee” is a single sound in “seek”
Phonology: the study of how speech
sounds pattern and how they are
organized (i.e., the sound system)
e.g., art, *rta (where ‘*’ = ungrammatical)
Morphology

Morphology: The study of the origin and
structure of words.
e.g., algebra is “borrowed” from Arabic
e.g., unrealistic  un-real-ist-ic
Syntax

Syntax: the study of the structure of
sentences
e.g., Fido brought in
the paper.
BUT NOT
*Fido in paper
brought the.
Semantics and Pragmatics
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Semantics: the study of meaning in
language.
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Pragmatics: the study of how linguistic
meaning depends on context.