Chapter 1: What Is Language?

Question 1

Grammar

Answer 1

the finite set of rules to produce and understand an infinite set of possible sentences

Question 2

Phonology

Answer 2

sound system

Question 3

Morphology

Answer 3

structure of words

Question 4

Lexicon

Answer 4

properties of words

Question 5

Syntax

Answer 5

combination of words to phrases and sentences

Question 6

Semantics

Answer 6

relation between sound and meaning

Question 7

Arbitrary

Answer 7

the incomprehensible relationship between speech sounds and the meanings they represent

Question 8

Linguistic Competence

Answer 8

knowledge

Question 9

Linguistic Performance

Answer 9

behavior

Question 10

Descriptive Grammar

Answer 10

model of mental grammars of speakers

Question 11

Mental Grammar

Answer 11

unconscious linguistic knowledge or capacity of speaker

Question 12

Prescriptive Grammar

Answer 12

attempts to legislate what your grammar should be

Question 13

Teaching Grammars

Answer 13

written to help people learn foreign language or a dialect of their own language

Question 14

Universal Grammar

Answer 14

the linguistic universals that pertain to each of the parts of grammar

Question 15

Sign Language

Answer 15

shows that sound is not a prerequisite for language

Question 16

American Sign Language

Answer 16

major sign language in US

Question 17

Creativity

Answer 17

speaker’s ability to combine the basic linguistic units to form an infinite set of “well-formed” grammatical sentences

Question 18

Discreteness

Answer 18

discrete units that combine according to rules of grammar

Question 19

Displacement

Answer 19

talk about things that are removed in space and or time

Question 20

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Answer 20

language we speak determines or influences our thoughts and perceptions of the world