Linguistic System & Functions Of Language

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How many parts are there to the linguistic system?

There are 6 parts - phonetics and phonology, morphology, lexicology, syntax, discourse and pragmatics, semantics.

How many parts are there to Roman Jakobson’s 6 functions of language?

There are six functions of language identified by Roman Jakobson: referential, emotive, conative, phatic, metalinguistic, and poetic.

What is phonetics & phonology?

Phonetics and phonology are the branches of linguistics that study the sounds of human speech. Phonetics deals with the physical properties of sounds while phonology focuses on how sounds function in particular languages. (manner, places of articulation and voicing).

What is Morphology?

Morphology is the branch of linguistics that studies the structure and formation of words, including the analysis of morphemes, the smallest units of meaning.

What are free morphemes?

Free morphemes are units of meaning that can stand alone as words, such as "cat" or "run." They are contrasted with bound morphemes, which cannot function independently.

What are bound morphemes?

Bound morphemes are linguistic units that cannot stand alone as words and must attach to free morphemes to convey meaning, such as prefixes and suffixes like "un-" in "unhappy" or "-ed" in "walked."

What are suffixes?

Suffixes are bound morphemes added to the end of a word to alter its meaning or grammatical function, such as '-ing' in 'running' or '-ly' in 'quickly.'

What are infixes and affixes?

Infixes and affixes are morphemes that are added to a root word to create new words or modify meanings. Affixes include prefixes and suffixes, while infixes are inserted within the root itself.

What are derivational morphemes?

Derivational morphemes are affixes that can be added to a root word to create a new word with a change in meaning or grammatical category, such as adding '-ness' to 'happy' to form 'happiness'.

What are inflectional morphemes?

Inflectional morphemes are bound morphemes that modify a word's form to express grammatical features such as tense, mood, person, number, or case without changing its core meaning or creating a new word, like '-s' for plural in 'cats'.

What is lexicology?

Lexicology is the study of the history and meaning of words, including their usage, formation, and the relationships between words within a language.

What is Syntax?

Syntax is the set of rules that governs the structure of sentences in a language, including the arrangement of words and phrases to create meaningful statements.

What is Discourse & Pragmatics?

Discourse and pragmatics examine how context influences the interpretation of language, focusing on the structure of conversations and the practical use of language in social interactions.

What is an example of Discourse & Pragmatics?

An example is how a speaker's tone, body language, and the situational context affect the meaning of their words during a conversation, illustrating how meaning can change based on social dynamics and relationships.

What is a discourse particle through an example?

A discourse particle is a word or phrase that serves a pragmatic function in conversation, often indicating how the speaker feels about the discourse or organizing the flow of conversation, rather than contributing directly to the content.

What are semantics?

Semantics is the study of meaning in language, focusing on how words and sentences convey meaning, as well as how context can influence interpretation. Also refers to cultural connotations of the text.

What is a referential function?

A sentence that provides information or informs.

What is a conative function?

A sentence that attempts to persuade through emotion or other forms. Can also be through requests or commands.

What is an emotive function?

A sentence that expresses feeling or emotion (eg. I love Rome!)

What is a phatic function?

A sentence or phrase that aims to establish a bond or close connection. (eg. small talk, greetings, or something that sparks a conversation).

What is a metalinguistic function?

Analyses and discusses language - can be through dictionary definitions, grammar explanations, etc.

What is a poetic function?

A sentence or phrase that utilises a play on words or metaphorical use of language (eg. ‘I am trash’).

What Are The Modes Of Communication?

Spoken, written and sign