Quiz 2 Language And Communication Flashcards
What is language?
Language is a set of symbols arranged in specific ways
Functional description - a complex code by which agents can communicate information
Natural Language
Human Language
Natural Language has been created by humans in culture
Human language structure it is implicit not explicit - we don’t know how we do it but we all know how to do it
Artificial Language
Artificial language is made up in sci-fi - fiction ie Star Trek Clinong
Computer Language and programming
Computer language is artificial language for communication with computers - lacks ambiguity
computer programming is written code by human - computer reads to follow human instruction
Language and Thought
Steven Pinker - window on to human nature
Verb - construction - infinite possibilities, structures and meanings
eg Go To - give the muffin to the mouse
To Have - give the mouse the muffin
Vague language can be used as an advantage ie bribe
Language is a brain interface - my brain - language - your brain
Disciplines in Language
Phonology - Sounds
Morphology - sound and meaning interact in words
Syntax - sentences put together in a language
Semantics - meaning
Pragmatics - how sentences interact with context to change meaning
Phonetics Puzzle - you can say “somethin” but not “anythin”
Canadian vs American raised - about vs aboot
Consonant sound - unvoiced - TTTTT - voiced - DDDD
International Phonetic Alphabet
Phonemes - distinct speech sounds - English has 44 Phonemes but there are many more - accents, dialects
Morphology - meaning - Morphemes - base word without suffix/prefix etc. Hock/Hawk, Merry/Marry/Mary
Suffix - verb to noun - claim to claimant
Noun to adjective - hope to hopeful
Adjective to verb - captive to captivate
Adjective to noun - prior to priority
Prefix - Noun to noun - husband to ex-husband
Adjective to adjective - complete to incomplete
Verb to verb - identify to misidentify
Ant - only wed with words of Latin origin - Assistant is correct but Helpant is not
Words blocked - Typist exists so cannot use Typer
Syntax in language
Syntax - specific order of words in sentence - it is transitive and intransitive requiring complements
Patty jumped. - intransitive
Patty jumped over the book. - transitive
Patty hit. - incorrect sentence
Patty hit the button. - transitive
Patty put. - incorrect sentence
Patty put the book. - incorrect sentence
Patty put the book back. - correct sentence - transitive
Adjective order
English - Opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, type, purpose
Eg - Lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife
Can say ‘big brown bear’ but not ‘brown big bear’
Syntax - Parsing
John hit the ball.
Noun-verb-determiner-noun (direct object)
Incorrect - John hit ball
Semantics
Verbs carry manner ie rolled, slid (Romance languages differ)
AI doesn’t have common sense or reasoning
Context changes meaning
How are things known ie The Lobster has one shell
Logic
Logic is formal, normative of reasoning
Symbolic logic specifies ways that sentences can be represented unambiguously (not open to more than one interpretation)
Typical logic is limited in semantics
Zoosemiotics - Animal Communication
Linguistics agree animals do not have language
Animals use gestures, expressions, gaze, following, olfactory communication, volcalization, etc.
Function - dominance, courtship, food, alarm
Animals use associative learning taught vs humans do it naturally
Behavioural Science vs cognitive science
Behavioural Science - language studied through human behaviour
Cognitive science - language is mental
The Language of Thought
Descriptive Linguistics = Grammer
The Oretical Linguistics = seeks general principles applicable to all languages
Historical Linguistics - how languages change over time
Sociolinguistics - language in society and dialects
Psycolinguistics - experimental psychology with language as primary data
Child Language Acquisition - how children learn/acquire language in early life
Neurolinguistics - relationship between language and the brain
Computational linguistics - computers and language interaction
