Language & Cognition #1 Exam

Sign

Something representing something else, like a smoke alarm indicating fire.

Semiotics

Study of signs and symbols in communication.

Index

Sign directly pointing to something, e.g., smoke as an index of fire.

Icon

A sign that looks like the thing it stands for (representing it), like a picture of a dog.

Symbol

Sign that is a product of general agreement (convention).

Divine Source Theory

Theory suggesting language was a gift from the gods.

Natural Sounds Theory

Theory proposing language originated from mimicking animal calls or sounds in nature.

Yo-he-ho Theory

language came from the noises people made when they were doing hard work

Physical Adaptation Theory

Theory suggests our vocal tract (mouth, throat, etc.) and body posture (upright walking) played a key role in enabling us to produce sounds needed to speech.

Innateness Hypothesis Theory

Idea that humans are born with a brain wired for language.

Arbitrary

Feature of human language - means that there's no special connection between how a word sounds and what it means

Displacement

Ability to discuss things not present, like dinosaurs.

Productivity & Creativity

Human capacity to create new words and sentences.

Cultural Transmission

Concept that language is learned, not instinctual.

Duality/Discreteness

Sounds combine to form words, words combine to form sentences.

Brain Lesions

Damage to specific brain areas causing speech problems, like Broca's & Wernicke's areas.

Lateralization

Hemisphere division into left and right, both differenft functions

Speech Errors (Tip of the tongue, spoonerism, malapropism, slip of the ear)

• Tip of Tongue: Can't quite remember a word

• Spoonerism: Changing first syllables of two words (Żuma do Gucia)

• Malapropism: Wrong word, similar sound

• Slip of the Ear: Mishearing something

Brain Metaphors (Sponge, Machine, Conduit)

Our brain processes language like a SPONGE (absorbing information), MACHINE (following rules), or CONDUIT (channeling thoughts by language)

Feral Children

It’s how kids who grow up without much contact with others can help us understand how language skills develop.

Motherese

High-pitched, slow speech parents use with babies.

Babbling

Babies experimenting with sounds around 6 months.

One-Word Stage

Babies using single words for objects around 1 year.

Two-Word Stage

Combining words (e.g., "more juice") around 1.5 years.

Telegraphic Speech

Short, simple sentences (e.g., "go park") after 2 years.

Word Formation: Eponyms, Borrowing, Clippings, Acronym, Blending, Conversion, Backformation, Compounding, Morphemes

Eponyms: come form names, surnames, cities

Borrowing: borrows from other languages

Clippings: shortening of words

Acronym: formed from the initial letters of other words ex. NASA

Blending: blends words ex. smoke + fog = smog

Conversion: change in a function of a word ex. an act - to act

Backformation: noun to verb, function change ex. babysitter: to babysit

Compounding: combining words ex. football

Morphemes: little elements that build words prefix, infix, suffix