week 2

Question 1

Saussure’s distinction of language and parole

Answer 1

langue: idealized system- the object of study of linguistics grammar rules, patterns crystallized at a given point in time ideal speaker-hearer
language “inside the circle

parole: messy, imperfect actual speech; language is use fleeting, variable idiosyncratic
language “outside the circle”

Question 2

Saussure’s structuralism

Answer 2

meaning of a sign depends on its position relative to other signs: things are defined by relationships of opposition to other things within a larger system; relationships between things form structures - categories, oppositions

Question 3

broader philosophy structuralism

Answer 3

fundamental structures that underlie human cognition shape society

more extreme version: structures (beyond consciousness & control of individuals) determine human behavior

Question 4

syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationships

Answer 4

syntagmatic: relationship to signs “in other slots” (adjectives, nouns, verbs) - these words have different roles

paradigmatic: relationship to things that can go in the “same slot” in a sentence (nouns) - the fill the same roll

Question 5

synchronic and diachronic linguistics

Answer 5

synchronic: study of a language system at particular point in time (how does it work as a system)

diachronic: study of changes in a language system through time (historical linguistics)

Question 6

prescipritve/descriptive linguistics

Answer 6

prescriptive: how people should speak (defining “correct language”) standards, rules

descriptive: describing language as it is actually used

Question 7

language ideology

Answer 7

the mediating link between linguistic and social differences; how different ways of speaking are linked to different social identities

what people believe about language: overtly expressed beliefs, beliefs implicit in actions

beliefs about what is and what isn’t socially valued

Question 8

linguistic relativism- SapirWhorf Hypothesis

Answer 8

language affects how you see the world; different languages predispose you to interpret the world in different ways

users of diff grammars - pointed toward diff types of observations and evaluations of similar acts - not equivalent as observers but arrive at diff views of the world

Question 9

cultural relativism

Answer 9

linguistic forms influence thought

different languages do not all have the same logic (diversity of knowledge and worldview)

languages as repositories of knowledge
languages are linked to identities and rights

people should judge a language/culture on its own terms

Question 10

sapir-whorf hypothesis: determinism/relativism

Answer 10

determinism: extreme form of relativism (Strong Whorf); our language determines how we see the world (we can’t see things another way) not testable, makes bilingualism and translation impossible

relativism: our language predisposes us to see the world in certain ways (weak whorf)

Question 11

whorf’s examples of linguistic relativism

Answer 11

connotations of words led people to think of things as not a fire hazard:
- “empty” gasoline drums
- pool of “waste water”
- “scrap lead”

Question 12

examples of language influencing thought

Answer 12

area of more experience - pets, cars, sports, academics - expertise and vocab make certain differences more meaningful

1 word for love in English, 2 in Ukrainian: liubov (general) kokhannia (romantic)

language helps us give diff meanings to what we see, it influences how we interpret the world

ex: if you use same word for sister and cousin, are you likely to have closer relationships with your cousin

language shapes thought - shaped by how we use it (feedback loop)

Question 13

theory of mind

Answer 13

conceptualizing the mental states of others

Question 14

language in general

Answer 14

does having it or not having it affect cognition

Question 15

linguistic structures

Answer 15

grammatical categories shape thought

Question 16

language use/discursive practices

Answer 16

not just grammatical structures, but speaking habits, turns of phrase

Question 17

examples of elaborated vocabulary

Answer 17

area in which you have more experience - pets, sewing, cars, sports, entertainment, academics

expertise and vocab make certain differences more meaningful to you

Question 18

importance of sapir-whorf hypothesis

Answer 18

different languages correlate with diff ways of viewing the world

language not only shapes thought - it is shaped by how we use it

Question 19

relativism vs. universalism in language and thought

Answer 19

relativism: perceptions depend on a particular language

universalism: perceptions are same for all humans

Question 20

studies of color terminologies - Berlin and kay: evidence for universals and cultural differences

Answer 20

not all languages have same set of basic color terms, but Brent Berlin and Paul Kay showed that major color terms cluster around 11 primary foci: ideal examples of a color category are similar across cultures

of basic terms

white black < red < green/yellow < blue < brown < orange/purple/pink/grey

human biology - a universal eyes are wired to perceive certain wavelengths of light

Question 21

slang

Answer 21

informal words and expressions, not standard, not “proper”

Question 22

jargon

Answer 22

vocab specific to a particular profession or group

Question 23

dialect

Answer 23

a variety of a language, it may be standard/non-standard

Question 24

accent, phonology

Answer 24

manner of pronunciation - it depends on a speaker’s phonology (sound system of a language)