Chapter 1: What Is Language? Flashcards
Grammar
the finite set of rules to produce and understand an infinite set of possible sentences
Phonology
sound system
Morphology
structure of words
Lexicon
properties of words
Syntax
combination of words to phrases and sentences
Semantics
relation between sound and meaning
Arbitrary
the incomprehensible relationship between speech sounds and the meanings they represent
Linguistic Competence
knowledge
Linguistic Performance
behavior
Descriptive Grammar
model of mental grammars of speakers
Mental Grammar
unconscious linguistic knowledge or capacity of speaker
Prescriptive Grammar
attempts to legislate what your grammar should be
Teaching Grammars
written to help people learn foreign language or a dialect of their own language
Universal Grammar
the linguistic universals that pertain to each of the parts of grammar
Sign Language
shows that sound is not a prerequisite for language
American Sign Language
major sign language in US
Creativity
speaker’s ability to combine the basic linguistic units to form an infinite set of “well-formed” grammatical sentences
Discreteness
discrete units that combine according to rules of grammar
Displacement
talk about things that are removed in space and or time
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
language we speak determines or influences our thoughts and perceptions of the world
