Week 2 Flashcards
The nature of language itself: from physiology and cognition to the “meaningful” structure of language as a system The relationship between language, thought, and human culture, language shaping and reflecting human culture. Social change of language and culture over time: generational changes, endangerment, revitalization
What are Linguistic Anthropologists interested in?
Language Socialization and Language Acquisition
What is Language Acquisition?
The ways a child learns grammar and dictionary (language)
What is Language Socialization?
Becoming a member of society by knowing this grammar and diction and respecting communicative norms
WHo is considered the originator of the study of linguistics?
SAUSSURE
What something looks like over time is:
diachronic
What something looks like frozen in time is:
synchronic
The dictionary is an example of ________ language.
synchronic
What is “la langue”?
LANGUAGE; the whole system of language (the words and the rules) that precedes and makes speech possible
What is “parole”?
SPEECH; the concrete use of language, the actual utterances
What was the Language Prohibition in 1866?
The Linguistic Society of Paris banned the topic of the
origin of language due to lack of hard evidence
Why was it so hard to find evidence for the origins of language?
The shortage of empirical evidence required inference
from other disciplinary lines of research such as the fossil
and archaeological record, which could only speculate
What is a vocal-auditory channel?
the capacity to see, hear or feel
What is broadcast transmission & directional reception?
To know direction of talk / gesture
What is rapid fading?
When a speech fades to silence
What is interchangeability?
The ability to talk and listen or see
What is semanticity?
Speech sounds / gestures linked to certain meanings
What is arbitrariness?
No direct communication b/w the signal and its meaning
What is discreteness?
When each communication unit can be separated?
What is specialization?
The fact that speech is produced for communication and not really for anything else
What is Total Feedback?
The ability to hear / see your speaker
How can we see discreteness within human interaction?
The discern between signs including “pin” and “bin”
What is traditional transmission?
That the learning of language occurs in social groups
What is the duality of patterning?
The ability to cluster meaningless units to generate meaning
What is productivity?
Create new messages by combining already-existing signs
What is displacement?
The ability to talk about things that are not spatially or temporarily present
What is prevarication?
The ability to make false statements (to lie)
What is reflexiveness?
Language can be used to refer to (i.e., describe) each other
