LING55AC Lecture 3 - Language and Linguistics (Tamasi & Antieau Chp. 1)

Definition of Language

An open, arbitrary, conventional, system of sounds(or visual cues in signed languages) used for communication within a community

Features of Language: System

Not random, but rule-governed

Features of Language: Sound

Smallest building blocks (with equivalents in signed languages)

Features of Language: Arbitrary

No inherent or natural connection between a word and its meaning (demonstrated by different words for the same thing across languages, like noono, oqaatsit, hih, etc.)

Features of Language: Conventional

Relies on speakers agreeing on the relationship between a word and its meaning (a speaker cannot just unilaterally decide to use "foot" for "tree")

Features of Language: Linguistic Community

A group of people who interact using a shared set of linguistic forms and social norms governing the use of those forms

Features of Language: Communication

The interchange of thoughts, opinions, and information within a linguistic community

6 Core Branches of Linguistics

• Phonetics: Sound articulation, transmission, and perception.

• Phonology: Sound patterns.

• Morphology: Word structure.

• Syntax: Sentence structure.

• Semantics: Meaning.

• Pragmatics: Language in use.

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

A standardized symbol-to-sound system rich enough to describe the sounds of any language

Linguistic Principle 1: Rule-Governed

Language rules are unconscious (speakers know when they are broken) and productive (e.g., the "wug" test)

Linguistic Principle 2: Created Equal

All languages have different properties (sound inventories, word order, etc.) but are equally complex and able to meet speakers' needs

Linguistic Principle 3: Language Changes

Change is constant, inevitable, and driven by internal (ease of articulation) or external (contact) factors; change ≠ decay

Linguistic Principle 4: Language Varies

All languages exhibit variation at every level; everyone speaks a dialect and has an accent (no single "pure" form)

Dialect

A variety of a language associated with a specific group or region

Idiolect

An individual variety of a language, representing one's personal "linguistic style"