LECTURE 7 language development Flashcards
How do the people of Mali view language acquisition?
A baby is considered a “thing” (Kuntu) until they begin to speak, becoming a “person” (Muntu).
Why is language considered important according to Noam Chomsky?
It is part of the “human essence,” unique to humans and critical to thought and communication.
How do the Kaluli people of Papua New Guinea view language?
Infants belong to the world of animals and spirits until they utter their first word.
What are human activities that rely heavily on language?
Planning trips, teaching, explaining, and socializing.
What functions are shared between human and animal communication systems?
Attracting mates, threatening competitors, and warning close kin.
How do crickets use communication?
Male crickets emit species-specific mating songs to attract females.
How do red deer use communication?
They roar to resolve conflicts, with the deepest roar indicating strength.
What is the design feature “tradition” in human language?
Human languages are learned and transmitted across generations, unlike wired-in animal communication systems
What is displacement in human language?
The ability to talk about objects and events removed in time and space.
What is duality of patterning in human language?
Meaningless sounds can be combined to express infinite meanings.
What is openness in human language?
The ability to invent new words and messages.
How do symbolic systems differ in humans and animals?
Humans use language to share ideas, while animals use signals to manipulate behavior.
What does “combinatorial systems” mean in language?
Words and structures are combined to create meaning, e.g., “Dog bites man” vs. “Man bites dog.”
What is compositionality in language?
The meaning of a sentence is determined by the meanings of its parts and their arrangement.
What did de Saussure (1916) state about word meanings?
The relation between words and meanings is arbitrary and conventional.
How does morphology contribute to language?
Morphology refers to meaningful forms (morphemes) like “dog” (noun) and “-s” (plural).
What is inflectional morphology?
It modifies a word’s tense or plurality without changing its meaning or syntactic category.
What is derivational morphology?
It changes the meaning or syntactic category of a word, e.g., “uncover” (reverse + cover).
What is syntax?
Rules governing word order and structure in sentences.
What is recursion in syntax?
Rules that allow embedding sentences within other sentences, enabling infinite combinations.
What is semantics in language?
The study of meaning, including word concepts and sentence interpretations.
What is pragmatics?
The study of language use in context, including implied meaning and conversational rules.
What are Gricean Maxims?
Rules for effective communication: Quantity, Quality, Relation, and Manner.
What is the difference between literal and implied meaning in pragmatics?
Literal meaning is derived from words, while implied meaning depends on context.
