Chapter 1: Introduction to Linguistics

Lexicon

The mental inventory of words and their meanings in a language.

Syntax

The set of rules that governs the structure of sentences in a language.

Morphology

The study of the structure and formation of words in a language.

Phonetics

The study of the production and perception of speech sounds.

Phonology

The aspect of grammar that deals with the structure and patterning of sounds in a language.

Semanticity

A feature of language in which signals (words or phrases) are associated with specific meanings.

Arbitrariness

The lack of inherent connection between the form of a word and its meaning.

Displacement

The ability of language to allow speakers to talk about things not present in space or time.

Productivity

The capacity of language users to generate and understand an infinite number of unique sentences.

Mental Grammar

An unconscious system of rules that governs how a speaker understands and produces language.

Language Acquisition

The unconscious process of learning a language typically occurring in young children.

Language Learning

A conscious process of learning a language, often through formal instruction.

Descriptive Grammar

An approach that describes how people use language in various contexts, without judgments of correctness.

Prescriptive Grammar

An approach that prescribes how language should be used, often based on traditional norms.

Grammatical Utterance

A sentence considered acceptable according to the rules of a particular language.

Ungrammatical Utterance

A sentence that does not conform to the grammatical rules of a language.

Register

Variations in language use depending on the social context or situational factors.

Dialect

A specific form of a language that varies based on geographic or social differences.

Competence

The innate knowledge and understanding of a language that a speaker possesses.

Performance

The actual language produced or used by speakers in real situations.

Universal Grammar

The theory that the ability to learn language is inherent to all human beings, with underlying structures shared across all languages.