Linguistic Anthropology Midterm Exam Study Guide

Quotable vocalization

A vocalization that is culturally recognized and has a specific meaning.

Intonation

Pitch and tone variations in speech that convey meaning or emotion.

Competence vs. performance

Competence: underlying knowledge of language. Performance: actual use of language in context.

Phonology

Study of speech sounds and their organization in language.

Phonemes

Smallest units of sound that can distinguish meaning in a language.

Morphology

Study of the structure of words and word formation.

Morphemes

Smallest units of meaning in a language.

Syntax

Rules governing the structure of sentences in a language.

Semantics

Study of meaning in language.

Pragmatics

Study of language use in context and the effects on meaning.

Multifunctionality

The ability of language to serve multiple functions in communication.

Language ideologies

Beliefs and attitudes about language use and variation.

Practice

Repetitive actions or behaviors in a social context.

Indexicality

The way language links to social context and identity.

Sign, signifier, signified

Saussure's model: sign (word), signifier (sound pattern), signified (concept).

Icon, index, symbol

Peirce's model: icon (resembles referent), index (connected by association), symbol (arbitrary connection).

Multimodality

Use of multiple modes of communication (e.g., speech, gestures, writing) in interaction.

Double-voiced discourse

Speech or text that conveys multiple conflicting meanings or voices.

Internally dialogized

Having internal dialogue or conflicting perspectives within speech or text.

Animator, author, principal

Bakhtin's typology: animator (speaker), author (source of words), principal (referent).

Gesture

Non-verbal bodily movement used in communication.

Iconics, metaphorics, deictics, beats

McNeill's typology of gestures: iconic (depictive), metaphoric (analogous), deictic (pointing), beats (rhythmic).

Sign language

Visual-gestural language used by Deaf communities for communication.

IPA

International Phonetic Alphabet: standardized system of phonetic notation.

Phonetics

Study of the physical properties of speech sounds.

Phones

Distinct speech sounds in a language.

Phonemics

Study of the sound contrasts (phonemes) in a language.

Consonant

Speech sound produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract.

Vowel

Speech sound produced without significant constriction in the vocal tract.

Places of articulation

Points in the vocal tract where consonant sounds are produced.

Manners of articulation

Manner in which airflow is obstructed to produce consonant sounds.

Allophones

Variant pronunciations of a phoneme in different contexts.

Morpheme

Smallest grammatical unit in a language.

Base vs. affix

Base: core element of a word. Affix: additional element added to a base.

Free vs. bound

Free: can stand alone as a word. Bound: must be attached to a base.

Prefix

Affix added to the beginning of a base.

Suffix

Affix added to the end of a base.

Infix

Affix inserted within a base.

Circumfix

Affix attached to both the beginning and end of a base.

Substitution frame

Pattern used to generate new sentences by replacing specific words or phrases.

SVO vs OVS vs OSV

Different word orders in a sentence: subject-verb-object, object-verb-subject, object-subject-verb.

Prescriptive grammar vs. descriptive grammar

Prescriptive: rules for 'correct' language use. Descriptive: scientific study of language as it's used.

Language acquisition

Process of learning a language, especially as a child.

Language acquisition device

Innate cognitive ability enabling language acquisition in children.

Universal grammar

Innate linguistic knowledge shared by all humans.

Language socialization

Process of learning and internalizing cultural norms through language use.

Language gap

Discrepancy in language proficiency between social groups.

Enculturation

Process of learning and adopting the cultural norms and values of one's society.

Robbins Burling

Linguist known for his work on language and culture.

Mikhail Bakhtin

Russian philosopher and literary critic known for his theories on dialogism and discourse.

Ferdinand de Saussure

Swiss linguist known for his structuralist approach to language.

Noam Chomsky

American linguist known for his theories on universal grammar and language acquisition.

Anne Senghas

Psycholinguist known for her research on Nicaraguan Sign Language.

Laura Ahearn

Anthropologist known for her work on language and socialization.

Ochs & Schieffelin

Anthropologists known for their research on language socialization and child language development.

Gesture calls

Non-verbal communication using body movements or signals.

Digital and analog communication

Digital: discrete, specific signals (e.g., Morse code). Analog: continuous, variable signals (e.g., spoken language).

Quotable gesture

A gesture that is culturally recognized and has a specific meaning.

Gesticulation

Expressive hand or body movements while speaking.

Paralinguistic

Non-verbal elements of speech, such as tone, pitch, and intonation.

Langue vs. parole

Langue: the abstract system of language. Parole: the actual use of language in speech.