Linguistics Final

Syntax

The branch of linguistics that studies the rules and principles that govern the structure of sentences in a language.

Noun Phrase (NP)

A phrase that has a noun (or pronoun) as its head and may include modifiers like adjectives, determiners, or other nouns.

Verb Phrase (VP)

A phrase that consists of a main verb and its auxiliaries, along with any objects or complements.

Prepositional Phrase (PP)

A phrase that starts with a preposition and ends with a noun phrase, functioning as a modifier.

Recursion

The ability to embed phrases within phrases indefinitely, allowing for the creation of infinitely long and complex sentences.

Constituent

A word or group of words that function as a single unit within a hierarchical structure.

Clause

A group of words that contains a subject and a predicate, which can be independent or dependent.

Semantic Case Roles

The roles that participants play in the action described by a verb, indicating their relationship to the verb's meaning.

Agent

The entity that performs an action.

Patient

The entity that is affected by the action.

Recipient

The entity that receives something.

Theme

The entity involved in the action without necessarily undergoing a change.

Beneficiary

The entity that benefits from the action.

Experiencer

The entity that experiences a feeling or perception.

Location

The place where the action occurs.

Source

The starting point of a movement.

Goal

The endpoint of a movement.

Core Argument

Essential participants in the action of a verb, typically the subject and object.

Transitive

Verbs that take a direct object.

Intransitive

Verbs that do not take a direct object.

Cognate

Words in different languages that have a common historical origin.

Borrowing

The process by which one language adopts words from another language.

Proto-language

An ancestral language from which a group of related languages is derived.

Comparative Method

A technique used to reconstruct proto-languages by systematically comparing related languages.

Sound Change

A systematic alteration in the pronunciation of sounds within a language over time.

Language Contact

The interaction between speakers of different languages leading to borrowing and convergence.

Bilingualism

The ability to speak and understand two languages fluently.

Statistical Learning

The ability to detect patterns and regularities in language input.

Prototype Theory

A cognitive theory suggesting that some members of a category are more central or representative than others.

Homophones

Words that sound the same but have different meanings and/or spellings.

Hypernyms

Words that are more general and encompass a broader category.

Hyponyms

Words that are more specific and fall under a broader category.

Discourse

Extended written or spoken communication beyond the sentence level.

Genre

A category of discourse characterized by particular styles, structures, or purposes.

Child-Directed Speech (CDS)

The way adults speak to children, characterized by a higher pitch and simplified vocabulary.

Canonical Babbling

The stage in language development where infants produce repetitive syllable sequences.

Overregularization

Applying regular grammatical patterns to irregular words.

Sensitive Period for Acquisition

The optimal timeframe when the brain is particularly receptive to language learning.

Language Ideologies

Beliefs and conceptions about language use within a society.

Linguistic Discrimination

Prejudice or unequal treatment based on language use.

Dialect

A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary.

Idiolect

The unique language use of an individual.

Accent

The way words are pronounced in a particular region or by a particular group.

Code-Switching

The practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects within a conversation.

Zero-Copula

The omission of the verb 'to be' in certain grammatical contexts.

Negative Concord

A grammatical feature where multiple negative elements express a single negation.

African American Vernacular English (AAVE)

A dialect of English spoken primarily by African Americans, characterized by unique phonological and grammatical features.