Language and Linguistics Review

Flashcards based on lecture notes about language and linguistics.

What is the hierarchical organization of language?

Language is organized into levels (sounds, words, sentences) where the meaning at each level can influence the others.

How can identifying one word influence phoneme perception?

Recognizing a word activates expectations that shape how we hear subsequent phonemes.

What is generativity in language?

The ability to use a finite set of rules to create an infinite number of novel expressions.

What are phonemes?

The smallest units of sound that distinguish meaning in a language.

What makes phonemes hard to identify?

Coarticulation, overlapping sounds, and lack of clear word boundaries.

What is coarticulation?

The blending of adjacent phonemes during speech.

What is speech segmentation?

The process of determining where one word ends and another begins in spoken language.

What is the phonemic restoration effect?

When the brain fills in missing sounds based on context.

What is phonemic competence?

An implicit understanding of how phonemes combine to form valid sequences in a language.

How is phonemic competence learned?

Implicitly, through exposure, without conscious instruction.

What is syntax?

The set of rules that govern sentence structure.

What aspect of word meaning does syntax use?

Grammatical class (e.g., noun, verb).

What do phrase structure rules do?

They determine how words and phrases combine to form sentences.

Why can a syntactically correct sentence be semantically odd?

Syntax can follow rules while the meaning doesn't make sense.

What is sentence parsing?

The process of assigning structure to a sentence during comprehension.

Do we parse sentences as we go or wait until the end?

We parse them as we read or hear them.

What are garden-path sentences?

Sentences that lead to an initial misinterpretation.

What is minimal attachment?

The preference for the simplest grammatical structure.

How can word usage and meaning mislead parsing?

We tend to assume the most common usage and meaning, which can be wrong.

What is extralinguistic context?

The physical and social setting that helps interpret or produce language.

What is prosody?

The rhythm, stress, and intonation in speech.

What is the linguistic relativity hypothesis?

The idea that language influences how we think and perceive the world.

Does language control or influence thought?

Research suggests it influences, not controls-words make it easier to think about concepts.

How does the Berinmo tribe's color perception relate to linguistic relativity?

They could perceive both colors, suggesting language doesn't limit perception but can shape it.