02 - Introduction to Language Flashcards
Language is a ______ for ______.
Shared system
Symbolic communication
Language is more than ______ - ______ changes meaning
Just words
Tone
What do we use language for?
To communicate our thoughts & ideas to others
What is Linguistic Accommodation (Convergence)?
4
How people’s speech, when influenced by others, tends to converge in
Rate
Grammar
Vocabulary
Loudness
Can both humans and animals communicate?
Yes
What does it mean that language is interchangeable?
You can use it to send and receive messages
Can both animals and humans send and receive messages?
Yes
What does it mean that language is arbitrary?
There is no direct relationship between symbols and their meaning
How do humans use arbitrariness in language?
We can have many names for the same object or concept
Cat, gato, chat, etc.
How do animals use arbitrariness in language?
They can use different barks, meows, chirps for different meanings
What is displacement in language?
It is the ability to talk about things that are not present or another time period that is not the present
Can both humans and animals demonstrate displacement in language?
Humans can
Animals cannot
What is prevarication?
Using language to lie
Do both humans and animals prevaricate?
No. Only humans do
What is the only known case of an animal prevaricating?
Koko the Gorilla signing that the cat ripped the sink off of the wall
