Vocabulary and Terminology Flashcards
Linguistic Competence
The system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language
Linguistic Performance
The actual use of language in concrete, real-world situations
Performance Error
Unintentionally incorrect use of speech, brought on by distractions, memory limitations, etc.
Speech Communication Chain
The stages of communication in which an idea proceeds from the mind of the listener to the mind of the speaker.
Speech Communication Chain Steps
Form an idea Choose the words to express that idea Place those words in a recognizable order Produce the words audibly Project those words to the intended audience Listener hears the sounds Listener decodes the sounds Listener receives communicated idea
Noise
In linguistics, any sound that interferes with effective communication
Lexicon
The cumulative knowledge a native speaker has of his or her language.
Mental Grammar
All grammar rules stored in the speaker’s brain
Language Variation
Linguistic differences within a language in terms of sound and structure
Descriptive Grammar
An objective set of rules based on observed usage of a specific language
Ways in which Writing and Language are not the same
Writing does not exist in every society
Writing must be taught; it is not inherent
Writing can be edited once created
Speech is ancient; writing is relatively modern (~6,000 years old)
Some advantages in Writing, vs. Speaking
Writing can be edited, creating better flow and no mistakes
Writing must be taught, making it more universal within a language
Writing is more stable
Prescriptive Grammar
A formalized set of rules based on how speakers of the language believe the language should be spoken and written
Prescribe
To lay down a rule
Charles Hockett’s Nine Design Features essential to language
Mode of communication Semanticity Pragmatic function Interchangeability Cultural transmission Arbitrariness Discreteness Displacement Productivity
Communication Mode
The channel through which communicative intent is expressed, i.e. speech, gestures, etc.
Semanticity
The property requiring that all signals in a communication system have meaning or function
Pragmatic Function
A useful purpose
Interchangeability
The ability to function in multiple ways; in the case of linguistics, to be able to both produce and receive messages
Cultural Transmission
Something that must be transmitted by way of the culture in which one grows up; for example, language
Arbitrariness
Something that is chosen randomly or at whim; in the case of linguistics, any sound can represent any idea or object, “just because”
Linguistic Sign
An abstract structure whose instances participate in a language
Convention
Any norm within a group or community; in the case of linguistics, how to use, and therefore what the meaning is, of certain terms
Nonarbitrariness
Certain parts of speech that are universal and therefore ordered in some way; for example the “ee” sound used in many languages for words associated with smallness
Iconic
Relationship between word an meaning so that the word resembles its meaning (such as onomatopoeia)
Onomatopoeia
A word that sounds like the sound it is attempting to imitate
Conventionalized
Something that is established or commonly agreed upon
Sound Symbolism
The partial representation of the sense of a word by its sound, as in bang, fizz, and slide
Discreteness
The property of communication systems by which complex messages are built up of smaller parts
Displacement
The ability to communicate about things, ideas, or actions that are not present or taking place at the time of communication
Productivity
The capacity of a communication system for novel messages to be built out of discrete units and be understood by others
Modality
Different ways in which languages can be expressed, such as gesture-visual instead of spoken-auditory
Myths about signed languages
Sign languages are derived from the local spoken language
Sign language is pantomime
Sign language is universal
All deaf people speak sign language
Differences between codes and languages
A code is artificially constructed from a natural language
Sign languages evolve; codes don’t
Rate of transmission in codes is much slower
Signed languages are their own entity, not based on any spoken language
