History of English - W01 Flashcards
Saussure (Language)
Language is a system of systems
Language as a convention
It is always meaningful
Language 2 main things
- System (difference - e.g. dog and dogs)
- Convention
Do all human beings have language?
Yes
All Languages…
- Creative and Symbolic
- Finite sets of Discrete Sounds
- Governed by finite set of rules (Grammar) (not essential)
- Semantic Universals (e.g. Male, Female, Human)
- Change Overtime
All Languages have Grammar
Different (not essential)
- Gramm. Categories (noun, verbs)
- Gramm. Evolution (no improvement, no complexification, no primitive language)
Grammar Evolution
Change
- No improvement
- No Complexification
- No Primitive Language
Declension
Deformation of a word in a language indentifying grammatical case, number, gender.
Homo amat Feminem
(exemple of…)
Declension
Study of Language history because
- Show Development
- World View (Cognition + Perception of Reality)
- Language is Cultural Construct
Basic Thruth about Language
- Always on a way to change in a New One
- Changes are All Logical
- Mixture is Inevitable and Natural part of Lang Ch.
- Changes in Different Random Directions among different Groups
Latin is Origin of
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- French
- Spanish
- Italian
Diachrony
(through time) = evolution and change
Synchrony
(at the same time) = given system at given point in time
Language as a System
Synchronically
Language as a Constantly Evolving Organism
Diacronically
What Percent of pop = what percent of all languages
94 pc of Pop = 6 pc of Worlds Language
Most Spoken Language Rank
1 - Chinese
2 - Spanish
3 - English
French - 16
English as a Lingua Franca
- Colonizers’ Language
- Internation Organizations Official Lang. (EU, UN)
- Olympics, Miss Universe
- International Business & Technology
- 3/4 mail, telexes, cables
- 1/2 Scientific - technical periodicals
- 30% info stored in Computers
Dialect
Form of language used by a speech community
Form of language used by a speech community
Dialect
Dialect Categories
- Regiolect
- Sociolect
Sociolect
Social Speech Patterns
Regional Speech Patterns
Regiolect (dialect)
Social Speech Patterns
Sociolect (dialect)
Accent
Manner of Pronunciation
Manner of Pronunciation
Accent
Strandard Language
Dialect supported by an institution (convention)