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Intro Ling

The document defines key linguistic terms and discusses theories of the origin and functions of language. It also compares traditional grammar to modern linguistics and outlines the scope of linguistics including micro and macro levels.

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saliki1kilo
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18 views4 pages

Intro Ling

The document defines key linguistic terms and discusses theories of the origin and functions of language. It also compares traditional grammar to modern linguistics and outlines the scope of linguistics including micro and macro levels.

Uploaded by

saliki1kilo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Definitions

Language: is a purely human method of communicating ideas,


emotions and desires. Language is the institution whereby humans
communicate and interact with each other.
Linguistics: is a social science subsumed under empirical sciences, its
subject matter is ‘language’, and language is part of human behavior in
general.
Diachronic linguistics (Historical): is the study of language
through history. It is concerned with the historical evolution of
particular languages.
Synchronic linguistics: is the study of language at a given time by
its speakers and examines its state. It could be a language spoken now
or an old one.
Morphology: is the study of words, how they are formed, and their
relationship to other words in the same language.
Syntax: is the study of how words and morphemes combine to form
larger units such as sentences.
Semantics: is the studies of meaning. Semantics can address meaning
at the levels of words, phrases and sentences.
Phonology: is a branch of linguistics that studies how languages or
dialects systematically organize their sounds.
Competence: refers to our unconscious linguistic ability that permit
us create sentences.
Performance: it’s the ability to comprehend and produce sentences in
a language.
Duality: or patterning is the use of meaningless elements to form a
language.
Interchangeability: when people can receive and at the same time
transmit identical signals to pass a message which proves a certain
flexibility in the language system.

1
Language Origin
Anthropologists claim that if we know when language first appeared we will also
know when man came into existence. There are different theories of language
origin:

The Divine Theory:


It is believed in different religions of the world that language is a creation of
God. According to Muslims, God conferred on Adam the ability to call things.
Same thing for other non-secular religions.

Speculations about the first language:


An Egyptian Pharaoh attempted to find out the most Primal language by using
scientific methodology. He put two recently born babies in a mountain cottage
for some years, and ordered the shepherd who took care of them never to talk to
them. The first word they produced was ‘bekos’ (bread) in Phoenician. So this
language was then believed to be the first language of the world.

Language adapted from the cries of nature:


In the 18th century, Jean-Jacque Rousseau thought that language originated
from the cries of pain, anger, joy… He claims that man first used gestures and
cries, but since these were inefficient for communication, man adapted the cries
of nature to form words.

The Rationalist’s view of language origin:


The German philosopher J. Herder believes that man was born with language
and a faculty of thought, it is part of man; it is neither given to him nor invented
by him. He claims that all languages of the world stem from one language which
explains the many common properties shared by all languages.

tongue without being taught any rules. According to him, all languages stem
from the general system of Universal Grammar, which is possessed by humans
only.

The origin of language is a topic which has always fascinated the public.
Linguists, however, no longer show the same amount of interest in the topic
because it goes beyond the reach of scientific inference.

2
Functions of Language
Informative: Language is used to transmit messages that is to inform
somebody of some information.

Interpersonal: By far the most important use of language, and by which


people establish and maintain their status in a society using polite expressions
and humble words.

Performative: This concept originates from the philosophical study of


language. It is to change the social status of people, as in marriage ceremonies,
the sentencing of criminals…

Emotive: To change the emotional status of an audience for or against someone


or something: swear words, involuntary verbal reactions (My God, Wow, and
Ugh) also called Expressive function.

Phatic (communion): Language can serve the function of creating or


maintaining social relationship between speakers. (Good morning, God bless
you, nice day, and hello).

Recreational: To use language for the sheer joy of using it, such as a chanter’s
chanting, poetry writing…

Metalingual: Language can be used to talk about itself.

3
Traditional Grammar Vs Modern Linguistics

TG is PRESCRIPTIVE; in the sense that it imposes norms. It studied language


only in relation to other disciplines, such as, logic, religion, language teaching…
Unlike modern linguistics, which considers the spoken language as basic. TG
was biased against the spoken medium. This neglect of the spoken medium made
language studies incomplete.
Modern linguistics is DESCRIPTIVE. It does not seek to make people obey
norms and rules of correctness. The task of the linguist is to describe and explain
how people speak and write language.

Scope of linguistics
Micro linguistics: consists of core branches of linguistics. It includes
phonetics, phonology, syntax...

Macro linguistics: shape what is referred to as peripheral branches of


linguistics. It includes sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics…

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