Language and Enculturation

This flashcard set covers key concepts from the lecture on language and enculturation, addressing topics like the nature of language, its components, and the relationship between language and social structures.

Language

A system of arbitrary vocal symbols used to encode experiences.

Biocultural phenomenon

Concept referring to the interaction between biological and cultural factors.

Speech community

A community of speakers sharing vocabulary, grammar, and assumptions about language use.

Linguistic competence

Mastery of grammar within a language.

Communicative competence

Mastery of socially appropriate speech.

Openness

The ability to conceptualize and discuss the same experiences using different words.

Displacement

The ability to talk about absent or nonexistent objects and past or future events.

Arbitrariness

The lack of inherent connection between a symbol and its meaning.

Duality of patterning

Language is structured at two levels: phonemes (sounds) and morphemes (meaning).

Prevarication

The ability to use language to speak falsely or make grammatically correct but meaningless statements.

Semanticity

The association of linguistic signs with aspects of the social, cultural, and physical world.

Linguistic relativity

The principle asserting that language shapes the way people see the world.

Phonology

The study of sound patterns in language.

Morphology

The study of word structure and the formation of words.

Syntax

The system governing the structure of sentences.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language.

Pragmatics

The study of language in context.

Language ideology

Beliefs about how language features relate to social features and power differences.

Codeswitching

The use of more than one language in a single communicative episode.

Pidgin

A simplified language formed from distinct languages, with no native speakers.

Creole

A complex language developed from pidgin over generations, with native speakers.

Linguicide

The systematic eradication of a language to assimilate a population.

Language revitalization

Efforts to preserve or revive languages that are on the brink of extinction.

Gender and language

The study of how language produces, maintains, and subverts normative gender roles.

Constructed languages

Languages artificially created to facilitate communication, e.g., Esperanto.