Introduction to Linguistics - Topic 1.1 Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from Unit 1.1: What is linguistics? What is language? What do linguists do? The five core levels of linguistic analysis (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics), plus related topics such as anaphora, language varieties, and linguistic subfields.

linguistics

The scientific study of human language.

language

A structured human communication system used to convey information, plans, stories, desires, opinions, and social relationships.

linguists

People who study human language and its structure, use, and variation.

phonetics

The study of the physical properties of speech sounds: how they are produced (articulation) and perceived.

• pa, ka, ta (what’s different?)

phonology

The study of sound systems: how speech sounds are organized in a system .

(flirt is english / riflt is not)

morphology

The study of word structure: roots, prefixes, and suffixes (e.g., un- in unlock, -able in unlockable).

syntax

The study of sentence structure: the set of rules for combining words and phrases into a structured, grammatical, and meaningful sentence.

semantics

The study of meaning in language: how words and sentences convey meaning and how context can affect interpretation.

morpheme

The smallest meaningful unit in a language (e.g., prefixes like un-, roots, or suffixes like -ed).

anaphora

The use of a pronoun or other linguistic expression to refer back to a previously mentioned antecedent in discourse.

sign language

A language using manual signs and gestures rather than spoken sounds.

language acquisition

The process by which individuals learn a language, especially how children acquire their first language.

sociolinguistics

The study of how language varies and changes in social groups and settings.

neurolinguistics

The study of how language is represented and processed in the brain.

psycholinguistics

The study of how language is learned and processed by the mind.

historical linguistics

The study of how languages change over time.

language classification

The grouping of languages into families based on genetic (historical) relationships.

language functions

The purposes of language, such as conveying knowledge, making plans, telling stories, expressing desires and opinions, persuading, and maintaining social relationships.

sound-meaning connection

The link between the sounds of language (phonetics/phonology) and its meanings (semantics) in communication.