final chap 1 Flashcards
Definition of Linguistics
How language works: how it is used, acquired, changes over time, represented in the brain and physically produced
different areas of linguistics
Phonetics: articulation and perception of speech sounds
Phonology: patterning of speech sounds
morphology: word structure
syntax: sentence structure
Semantics: meaning of words and sentences
How is language different than just communication?
Language has a set of defining criteria, many things communicate but do not have language
Design features of language:
creativity: new words can be created, sentences can be extended
arbitrariness: some words it isI not possible to deduce the underlying meaning from its word form
displacement: we can talk about future or past (refer to different times and spaces
prevarication: we are able to lie or speak nonsense
learnability: can learn other variants
reflexiveness: we can use our language to talk about our langauge
perception of language
mentall processing abilities in human to deal with speech
goal of linguistics
describe the internalized and unconscious knowledge which native speakers share
native intuitions
- systematic, innate ability and experience of understanding a language
Grammar
mental system of rules that allows humans to interpret words and sentences
Mental grammar
innate set of principles, unconcious knowledg of a language
linguistic competence:
a (unmeaurable) understanding of a language, subconscious
descriptive grammar vs perscriptive:
descriptive: a description of the knowledge that native speakers share
prescriptive: socially accepted rules of a language
5 properties of grammar
Generality: all languages have a grammar
parity: all grammars are equal
universality: all grammars are alike in basic ways
mutability: all grammars change over time
inaccessibility: grammar knowledge is subconscious
