topic 4

Language

A system of communication using words, sounds, and gestures, organized by rules.

Communication

The exchange of information through speech, gestures, writing, or signals.

Call System

The limited set of sounds and gestures used by animals to communicate.

Symbol

A word, sound, or gesture that represents something else.

FOXP2 Gene

A gene linked to speech and language development in humans.

Historical Linguistics

The study of how languages change over time.

Proto-Language

A reconstructed ancestor of related languages (e.g., Proto-Indo-European).

Writing System

A set of symbols used to represent spoken language in written form.

Logograph

A symbol that represents a word, sound, or concept in writing.

Productivity

The ability to create an unlimited number of new sentences from a set of rules.

Closed-Call System

A fixed set of sounds animals use to respond to their environment.

Phoneme

The smallest unit of sound that changes meaning (e.g., 'bit' vs. 'pit').

Morpheme

The smallest unit of meaning in a language (e.g., 'run' and '-ing' in 'running').

Syntax

The rules that determine sentence structure.

Grammar

The overall system of rules for forming sounds, words, and sentences.

Sign Language

A visual language using hand movements, facial expressions, and body gestures.

Linguistic Relativity

The idea that language influences how people think.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

The theory that different languages shape different ways of thinking.

Sociolinguistics

The study of how language interacts with culture, identity, and social status.

Honorifics

Words that show respect and indicate social status (e.g., Mr., Dr.).

Code-Switching

Shifting between languages or speech styles depending on the situation.

Genderlects

Speech styles associated with different genders.

High-Context Culture

A culture where communication relies heavily on context and indirect cues.

Low-Context Culture

A culture where communication is direct, and meaning is in the words themselves.