chapter 2 Flashcards
refering
convey info about the real world
something you can make a mental picture of
denoting
a property of words
stable relationship in a language that is not dependent on any one use of a word
what is the basic premise or Referential/Denotational theories
that we can give the meaning of words and sentences by showing how they relate to situations
Representational Approach
language represents a theory about reality about the types of things and situations in the world
a speaker can choose to view the same situation different ways
does referring involve open or closed classes?
open classes including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs
Variable reference
deixis or pointing words
referring words
do variable references involve open or closed classes?
closed including personal pronouns, demenstratives
non-referring
covey grammatical info
cant form a mental picture
do non referring words involve closed or open classes?
closed including prepositions, articles, conjuctions
what is an open class
content words
semantic content/reference
includes nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
derivational morphemes (roots) in polysynthetic languages
what is a closed class
function words dont hook onto the real world includes pro-forms, adjectives, and conjunctions inflectional morphemes (prefixes or suffixes) in polysynthetic languages
what are the 3 major structures of language
polysynthetic languages
isolation languages
agglutinating languages
polysynthetic languages
languages that have large words
they have many derivational morphemes within one word
isolation languages
have 1-3 morphemes for root
agglutination languages
compounding of words with 1-2 morphemes
common nouns
refer to identify classes of people places or things
ex: mayors, municipalities, elections
proper nouns
refer to names of a particular person, place or thing
Description theory
names are labels for referent
network of associated concepts define a name
understanding a name and identifying the referent are both dependent on associating the name wth the right description
Casual Theory
surnames are inherited or acquired through marriage
first names are often borrowed
what can nouns and noun phrases be used for
to refer definite and indefinite noun phrases
can opperate like names to pick out an individual
can differ depending on if the speaker is known or not
____ noun phrases can form definite descriptions where the referent is whoever or whatever fits the description
definite
quantifiers
a class of words that in english include: each, all, every, some none, no
reference (4)
how language hooks onto entities and events in the world
focus on how speakers use words to refer to reality
ephermeal and changing property of discourse
the way people refer to reality through discourse
Sense (4)
how language forms coherent systems; not directly connected to the world
focus on how classes of words and sentences are organized
fixed and permanent property of language
the way language denotes reality
____ is a form of mental representation which provides an image of the real world based on resemblance
sense
what are the 5 stages jean piaget observed
sensorimotor
preoperational
concrete operational
formal operational
sensory motor stage
0-2
children experience the world through movements and their senses
egocentric view of the world
preoperational stage
2-7
through play children develop the ability to use symbols and language
still egocentric
concrete operational stage
7-11
children begin to think logically, develop a sense of self and empathy towards others
formal operational stage
11-16
children master abstract though and metacognition
image schema
mental abstractions of space, time, and movement rooted in human sensorimotor experience
dumbed down short form of though
rooted in sensorimotor experience
what are the basic rules babies seem to realize?
image schemas
prototypes
simplify and organize on the basis of family resemblances
have radial structure with fuzzy boundaries
metaphors
classically taken to be a form of linguistic expression
what are metaphors based on
image schemas
what does lakoff think about metaphors?
they are an ubiquitous form of cognitive cross domain mapping
conceptual hierarchies
words are in set of semantic links with other words
conceptual structures are similarily linked
what did frans boas find
four field approach of american anthropology
what did frans boas find important
field work and the problem with armchair theorizing
linguistic relativity
aka sapir-whorf hypothesis
language determines thought
culture influences language which then influences how we think
LOT hypothesis
thought consists of elementary ideas that are combined through a form of syntax to generate complex ideas
lot is universal and underlies how we think and speak
objectivism
grounded in ontology
claims the existence of a world beyond what we can comprehend
favours lot hyp
mental constructivism
grounded epistemology
claims that the world as we perceive and understand is purely a mental construct
favours linguistic relativity
ontology
branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of being and the structure of reality
epistemology
the branch of philosophy that is concerned with the nature of knowledge
what is the process used when i see a bird and compare it to a sparrow to figure out what it is
prototype
