Linguistics
Chapter 1 Introduction: Language and Linguistics
l What is language?
n Different definitions of language
u Language is a system whose parts can and must be considered in their synchronic solidarity. (de Saussure, 1916)
u [Language is] a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements. (Chomsky, 1957)
u Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.
n Each of the definitions above has pointed out some aspects of the essence of language, but all of them have left out something. We must see the multi-faceted nature of language.
n As is agreed by linguists in broad terms, language can be defined as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.
l Features of human language
n Creativity
u Language provides opportunities for sending messages that have never been sent before and for understanding brand new messages.
u The grammar rules and the words are finite, but the sentences are infinite. Every speaker uses language creatively.
n Duality
u Language contains two subsystems, one of sounds and the other of meanings.
u Certain sounds or sequences of sounds stand for certain meanings.
u Certain meanings are conveyed by certain speech sounds or sequences of speech sounds.
n Arbitrariness
u The relationship between the two subsystems of language is arbitrary.
u There is no logical connection between sound and meaning.
n Displacement
u There is no limit in time or space for language.
u Language can be used to refer to things real or imagined, past, present or future.
n Cultural transmission
u Culture cannot be genetically transmitted. Instead, it must be learned.
u Language is a way of transmitting culture.
n Interchangeability
u All members of a speech community can send and receive messages.
n Reflexivity
u Human languages can be used to describe themselves.
u The language used to talk about language is called meta-language.
l Functions of language – three meta-functions
n The ideational function
u To identify things, to think, or to record information.
n The interpersonal function
u To get along in a community.
n The textual function
u To form a text.
l Types of language
n Genetic classification
n Typological classification
u Analytic language – no inflections or formal changes, grammatical relationships are shown through word order, such as Chinese and Vietnamese
u Synthetic language – grammatical relationships are expressed by changing the internal structure of the words, typically by changing the inflectional endings, such as English and German
u Agglutinating language – words are built out of a long sequence of units, with each unit expressing a particular grammatical meaning, such as Japanese and Turkish
l The myth of language – language origin
n The Biblical account
u Language was God’s gift to human beings.
n The bow-wow theory
u Language was an imitation of natural sounds, such as the cries of animals, like quack, cuckoo.
n The pooh-pooh theory
u Language arose from instinctive emotional cries, expressive of pain or joy.
n The yo-he-ho theory
u Language arose from the noises made by a group of people engaged in joint labour or effort – lifting a huge hunted game, moving a rock, etc.
n The evolution theory
u Language originated in the process of labour and answered the call of social need.
l What is linguistics?
n Linguistics is the scientific study of language.
u Observing & questioning
u Formulating hypotheses
u Verifying the hypotheses
u Proposing a theory
n Branches of linguistics
u Internal branches: intra-disciplinary divisions
l Phonetics
l Phonology
l Morphology
l Syntax
l Semantics
u External branches: inter-disciplinary divisions
l Pragmatics
l Psycholinguistics
l Sociolinguistics
l Applied linguistics
l Computational linguistics
l Neurolinguistics
n Features of linguistics
u Descriptive
u Dealing with spoken language
u Synchronic
Chapter 1 Introduction: Language and Linguistics
l What is language?
n Different definitions of language
u Language is a system whose parts can and must be considered in their synchronic solidarity. (de Saussure, 1916)
u [Language is] a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements. (Chomsky, 1957)
u Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.
n Each of the definitions above has pointed out some aspects of the essence of language, but all of them have left out something. We must see the multi-faceted nature of language.
n As is agreed by linguists in broad terms, language can be defined as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.
l Features of human language
n Creativity
u Language provides opportunities for sending messages that have never been sent before and for understanding brand new messages.
u The grammar rules and the words are finite, but the sentences are infinite. Every speaker uses language creatively.
n Duality
u Language contains two subsystems, one of sounds and the other of meanings.
u Certain sounds or sequences of sounds stand for certain meanings.
u Certain meanings are conveyed by certain speech sounds or sequences of speech sounds.
n Arbitrariness
u The relationship between the two subsystems of language is arbitrary.
u There is no logical connection between sound and meaning.
n Displacement
u There is no limit in time or space for language.
u Language can be used to refer to things real or imagined, past, present or future.
n Cultural transmission
u Culture cannot be genetically transmitted. Instead, it must be learned.
u Language is a way of transmitting culture.
n Interchangeability
u All members of a speech community can send and receive messages.
n Reflexivity
u Human languages can be used to describe themselves.
u The language used to talk about language is called meta-language.
l Functions of language – three meta-functions
n The ideational function
u To identify things, to think, or to record information.
n The interpersonal function
u To get along in a community.
n The textual function
u To form a text.
l Types of language
n Genetic classification
n Typological classification
u Analytic language – no inflections or formal changes, grammatical relationships are shown through word order, such as Chinese and Vietnamese
u Synthetic language – grammatical relationships are expressed by changing the internal structure of the words, typically by changing the inflectional endings, such as English and German
u Agglutinating language – words are built out of a long sequence of units, with each unit expressing a particular grammatical meaning, such as Japanese and Turkish
l The myth of language – language origin
n The Biblical account
u Language was God’s gift to human beings.
n The bow-wow theory
u Language was an imitation of natural sounds, such as the cries of animals, like quack, cuckoo.
n The pooh-pooh theory
u Language arose from instinctive emotional cries, expressive of pain or joy.
n The yo-he-ho theory
u Language arose from the noises made by a group of people engaged in joint labour or effort – lifting a huge hunted game, moving a rock, etc.
n The evolution theory
u Language originated in the process of labour and answered the call of social need.
l What is linguistics?
n Linguistics is the scientific study of language.
u Observing & questioning
u Formulating hypotheses
u Verifying the hypotheses
u Proposing a theory
n Branches of linguistics
u Internal branches: intra-disciplinary divisions
l Phonetics
l Phonology
l Morphology
l Syntax
l Semantics
u External branches: inter-disciplinary divisions
l Pragmatics
l Psycholinguistics
l Sociolinguistics
l Applied linguistics
l Computational linguistics
l Neurolinguistics
n Features of linguistics
u Descriptive
u Dealing with spoken language
u Synchronic