Introduction Flashcards
What is prescriptive language?
Ideas concerning proper usage, how one ought to speak
what do we call pragmatic perspective on language?
When people adjust their speech to the patterns of their clients in order not to risk losing business because of miscommunication for example
What is the lingustic approach?
That language is a means to an end for most people. A tool for communication
what makes a word a word an not just noise?
That the word expresses some idea
What terms might be associated with the top half of a meaning composite?
meaning, semantics, sifnified, function, conceptual domain, content
what terms might be associated with the bottom of a meaning composite?
structure,form, sign, signifier and symbol.
what does conceptual category mean?
A conceptual category describes some spesific element of meaning that speakers of a language pay special attention to gramatically
What must criteria must be fullfilled in order for something to be a conceptual category?
Some structural pattern. There has to be a pattern. For example: Past tense is a conceptual category.
What three broad types of expressing conceptual category is there?
Lexical expression, morphological expression and syntactic or analytical expression
what is lexical expression?
Any formal expression of a conceptual category that must be memorized rather than constructed according to a pattern.
EX: past tense of the verb to go must be memorized because there is no way a learner could guess that the form went is based on any pattern
what three subtypes of lexical expression are there?
Strong suppletion
weak suppletion
Isomorphism
Strong suppletion
Strong suppletion; One root is replaced by an entirely diffrent root; The forms of the Be verb for instance. ( must be memorized)
Weak suppletion
Substition of one root for another that is similar to the first, but which cannot be derived by any recurring pattern.
Ex: The forms og the words buy and bought. Both start with B but there is no pattern for the rest.
Isomorphism
A regular expected adjustment in meaning is accomplished by not changing the form at all. EX: Past tense form of the verb hit is hit
This form cannot be guessed, it must be memorized.
What is morphological expression?
Consists of patterned variations in form that accomplish variations in meaning by altering the shapes of words:
EX:
“The diffrence between the noises spelled call and called follows a regular pattern”
