Study of language Flashcards
What is “the sign”?
“A sign” is something that stands for something else, which basically means a sign is an object, a picture, a sound etc. that we use to represent and/or convey information. Two key components of recognizing signs are the form and meaning (the ideas associated with this form). Signifier is the form and the signified is the sign. Hence a floppy disc is a form, the signifier, and the meaning is perhaps something you press in the computer to save a document, hence signified.
All sign is basically symbolic, which means that the sign in all senses is an arbitrary sign.
What is an “iconic sign”?
An iconic is when the form somehow resembles the meaning. The physical shape resembles the characteristics of the sign (signifier –> signified). Iconic signs are, for example, a no-smoking sign, rubbing your eyes as a sign that you are tired.
What is a symbolic sign?
A symbolic sign is when the form and meaning connected to each other is arbitrary, i.e. completely conventional. For example, there is no reason for one to fathom why the numeral sign 11 should mean eleven. Someone, sometime, decided to make the connection and that’s basically why it’s comprehended as eleven when someone writes the numeral 11.
What is an indexical sign?
An indexical sign is when the form and meaning don’t resemble each other at all, which basically means that they are associated to each other because they occur together, i.e. when I come home late and my wife is all dressed up I know, without her having told me, that I will be staying home alone with our son.
What is ‘arbitrariness’?
The majority of signs are not connected by necessity, which means that the connection between the sing and meaning are arbitrary. “A rose by any name would be as sweet”, and it would still remain a rose.
What is “naming”?
Signs are given names to objects and actions. What that means is for example if you take the word bear, then it does not naturally mean that you should beware because there is a bear in sight. It can be used to describe the friendship between a man and a bear.
What is “displacement”?
Is basically when you speak of things that are not happening right now. It’s not present right here right now. It could be talking about old memories, history, and even what’s to become of the future. When you read a book, the book in its’ whole is a displacement, since the book was written a day ago, or 20 years ago. It has happened, but in the past.
What is an double articulation?
A double articulations is when what you say can be uttered in different ways if you rearrange the letters (phonemes) of what you are saying, i.e. reap and pear.
What is creativity?
Is when one puts together linguistics signs to create new utterances, even those utterances that have not been produced before.
What is reflexivity?
Is when you us language to talk about language. The whole field of linguistics, for instance.
What is cultural transmisson?
Is basically when one is exposed to language in the environment they live in, or worst-case scenario, not being exposed to language at all. What that means is that in order to learn a language you have to be exposed to it, and the main difference is where one, geographically is exposed to language. If you are born in France you will learn French, if you are born in Sweden you will learn Swedish, in the same sense that if you have parents that are from South Africa, but you yourself is born and raised in Sweden, you will probably be exposed to both Afrikaans and Swedish. The environment is the key.
What is prescriptivism?
Prescriptivism mainly focuses on speaking and writing correctly. (If I were you… is grammatically correct in comparison “if I was you”).
What is descriptivism?
Descriptivism also focuses on speaking and writing correctly, but its relation to nature of linguistics differ. Which basically means that the focus lies more in HOW the language is used, and not as narrowly focused on the correctness of the use of language. (If I was you… is not grammatically correct).
What is social lubricant?
You talk with a squeaky voice with a child, and use less words in order to communication “fluently” with the child, or that you speak in one way with your boss (formal), whilst in another way with your partner (informal).
