The Linguistic Facts of Life

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on language variation, standardization, and sociolinguistics.

Linguistic facts of life

Foundational ideas in linguistics: language is dynamic, variation is normal, and social factors influence language.

All living languages change

Languages evolve in phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics; only moribund languages are static.

All languages are equal

All linguistic varieties have equal potential to convey meaning; social value varies with context and power.

Written language vs. spoken language

Historically different in form, structure, and function; writing standardizes, while speech is the primary mode of daily communication.

Variation

Intrinsic differences in speech across speakers and contexts; often purposeful and tied to social identity.

Prescriptivists

Advocates of fixed language rules and the authority to judge what counts as 'correct' language.

Descriptivists

Linguists who describe language as it is used, without prescribing norms.

Standardization

Process of fixing a single norm for writing/grammar; linked to power and literacy; can fossilize language.

Standard American English (SAE)

Idealized benchmark variety used as a reference for 'correct' language; socially constructed and contested.

Grammaticality

Judgment about whether a sentence conforms to a speaker's internal grammar; may diverge from communicative effectiveness.

Communicative effectiveness

How clearly and effectively an utterance conveys meaning; content can trump strict grammar.

Taxicab Maxim

Analogy: a taxi must obey physical laws but can flout linguistic norms; highlights distinction between physics and language norms.

Singular they

Use of they/them as a singular pronoun; historically present and widely used; contested by some authorities.

FOXP2

Gene linked to language capacity; studied in a family with language disorders; a starting point for molecular language studies.

Innateness hypothesis (Chomsky)

Idea that language ability is hard-wired in the brain; children acquire language rapidly using innate knowledge.

Colorless green ideas sleep furiously

Chomsky’s sentence showing that grammar can be correct while meaning is nonsensical.

Disciplining of discourse

Foucault concept: power structures regulate who may speak and be heard; language policies enforce social order.

Literacy myth

Belief that literacy automatically yields superior thinking or social advantage; undervalues spoken language.

Dictionaries as authority

Dictionaries are treated as ultimate authorities on language; their power is socially constructed and debated.

Standard Language Ideology (SLI)

Belief that there is one correct standard language, often used to justify social inequality through language norms.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

Phonetics studies production/perception of speech sounds; phonology studies how sounds are organized in a language system.

Rhetoric

Study of language used effectively and persuasively; historically central to education; modern usage can imply empty persuasion.