Lin Flashcards
What is linguistics?
the study of ‘how’ language works (and more precisely human language!)
questions about language
How is language used?
How do children acquire language?
How does language change over time?
How is language represented in our mind?
What is language?
‘any’ system of human language used and understood by some group of people, which crucially always consists of a grammar and a vocabulary.
5 major components of the structure of human language
Phonetics
Phonology
Morphology
Syntax
Semantics
What is phonetics?
physical nature of sound
What is phonology?
sound patterns in language
What is morphology?
Word structure
What is syntax?
sentence structure
What is semantics?
word/sentence meaning
Linguistics is made up of several areas of research
Theoretical linguistics (the nature of Language)
Applied linguistics (teaching, translating, etc.)
Historical linguistics (reconstruction and changes of languages)
Sociolinguistics (relations between society and languages)
Language acquisition (how is language acquired by children)
Psycholinguistics (how is language implemented in our mind)
Neurolinguistics (how is language implemented in our brain)
What’s a linguist?
undertake the scientific study of human language
Human language encompasses links between
Forms and meanings
The connection between a form and its meaning is
arbitrary
Are sounds and letters the same?
NO
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
A system that provides a
one-to-one correspondence
between symbol and sound
