Introduction to Linguistics: Signs and Language Properties

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the semiotics of signs, models of communication, language design features, academic paragraph structure, and introductory linguistic subfields.

Linguistics

The scientific study of language, including its structure, use and the knowledge that makes language possible.

Semiotics

The study of signs and the sign systems they form, including verbal and nonverbal human communication and animal communication.

Sign

A meaningful form that stands for something other than itself; a relation between a perceptible form (such as a sound, written word, gesture or image) and meaning.

Sign system

A structured set of meaningful signs, such as spoken language, writing, traffic signs, Morse code or visual pictograms.

Signifier

The perceptible form of a sign, such as the sound pattern or written form of the word tree.

Signified

The mental concept associated with a signifier, such as the concept of a tree, not necessarily a particular physical tree.

Referent

The entity or object in the world to which a sign refers in a particular use.

Saussure’s model of the sign

A dyadic (two-part) model consisting of the signifier (form or sound-image) and the signified (concept).

Peirce’s model of the sign

A triadic model involving the representamen (sign form), object (what it stands for) and interpretant (the interpretation or understanding of the sign).

Communication

The intentional transmission of information through an established signalling system.

Communicative signal

A signal intentionally selected or produced to make another person aware of something, such as deliberately showing an aspirin bottle or extending a hand to request help.

Informative (symptomatic) signal

An unintentional signal that nevertheless reveals information, such as sneezing, yawning or snoring.

Index

A sign connected to its referent by contiguity, physical or spatial proximity, causal connection or the context in which it occurs.

Contiguity

Closeness or direct connection between sign and referent, including spatial, temporal and causal connections.

Icon

A sign whose form resembles or imitates some perceptible or structural aspect of its referent or meaning.

Symbol

A sign whose relationship with meaning is established through convention rather than a necessary natural resemblance or direct connection.

Arbitrary

A relationship where the form of a sign is not naturally required by its meaning, and its meaning cannot generally be predicted from the form alone.

Deixis

Context-dependent reference in which the referent of an expression is determined by the situation of speaking.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate or evoke sounds, such as buzz, crash, cuckoo, bow-wow, slurp and cough.

Sound symbolism

An association in which certain sounds or sound patterns suggest qualities or meanings without directly imitating a real-world sound, such as the cluster of gl- words associated with shining or light.

Pictogram

A sign that directly resembles an object or activity, such as a drawing of a car or pedestrian.

Ideogram

A sign that represents broader ideas or concepts and can require more learned interpretation, such as a crossed-out P representing the prohibition of parking.

Design features of language

General properties used to describe and compare human language with other communication systems, associated in the handout with Hockett.

Displacement

The ability to refer to people, things and events beyond the immediate time and place of speaking, including the past, future and imaginary entities.

Productivity (creativity/open-endedness)

The ability to create and understand an indefinitely large number of new utterances, including ones never heard before.

Fixed reference

A characteristic of animal signals where a signal is tied to a relatively fixed type of object, situation or occasion rather than being freely recombined to express novel meanings.

Cultural transmission

The learning and passing on of a language through interaction with other users, rather than solely through genetic inheritance.

Discreteness

The property whereby the speech stream can be segmented into distinguishable units, such as changing /b/ to /p/ to distinguish bear from pear.

Duality (double articulation)

The structural organization of language at a level of distinctive meaningless sounds and a level where their combinations form meaningful units.

Vocal-auditory channel

The channel where spoken messages are typically produced with vocal organs and received through hearing.

Reciprocity (interchangeability)

The language property meaning a language user can both send and receive messages.

Specialization

The property that linguistic signals principally serve communication rather than another biological function such as feeding.

Non-directionality

The property where a spoken signal can be received by any listener within hearing range, not only its intended addressee.

Rapid fade

The property where spoken linguistic signals disappear quickly after being produced.

Prevarication

The possibility of producing false, deceptive or misleading messages.

Semanticity

The property that signs are associated with meanings.

Round dance

A honeybee dance associated with a food source near the hive (within about 5 metres).

Sickle dance

A honeybee dance associated with an intermediate food distance (about 5–20 metres).

Tail-wagging dance

A honeybee dance associated with food farther away (over about 20 metres).

Paragraph unity

The quality where all sentences in a paragraph contribute to a single central or controlling idea.

Paragraph coherence

Clear logical and linguistic links between sentences, helped by reference words, repetition and appropriate transitions.

Logical development

The progression of an argument meaningfully through explanations, reasons, evidence and analysis rather than jumping between claims.

Topic sentence

The sentence that expresses the paragraph’s main or controlling idea; it often appears near the beginning.

Five-step model for paragraph writing

The assignment paragraph sequence consisting of Claim, Definition, Evidence, Analysis, and Conclusion.

Grammar

The system of rules governing how sentences are formed and interpreted; it reflects linguistic competence.

Competence

A speaker’s underlying abstract knowledge of a language.

Performance

The actual use of linguistic knowledge in speaking, writing or understanding utterances.

Descriptive grammar

An account of how speakers actually use language.

Prescriptive grammar

Rules or recommendations about how people are supposed to use language.

Phonetics/phonology

The study of speech sounds and their organisation in a language.

Morphology

The study of word structure and word formation.

Syntax

The study of how words combine into phrases and sentences.

Semantics

The study of linguistic meaning.

Pragmatics

The study of how context affects interpretation and communicative meaning.

Universal Grammar

Chomsky’s proposed innate blueprint facilitating human language acquisition.