Linguistic Anthropology

Language

A system of arbitrary symbols used to encode and communicate experience.

Linguistic Anthropologists

Researchers interested in how language relates to culture.

Gestures

Form of communication through body language that can be culture-specific.

Call Systems

Natural communication methods of animals that include specific gestures and sounds.

Kinesics

The study of non-verbal communication, including gestures and personal space awareness.

Symbols

Elements that stand for something else, embodying the design feature of arbitrariness.

Semiotics

The study of signs and symbols, focusing on their use and interpretation.

Phonemes

The smallest units of sound in language.

Morphemes

Patterns of use in words created from phonemes.

Pragmatics

The study of language in the context of its use.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

The theory that different languages produce different ways of thinking.

Dialect

A variety of a language spoken by a distinct group with unique phonemes or syntax.

Focal Words

Specific words and distinctions important to a certain cultural group.

Cultural Immersion

The process of deeply integrating oneself into a culture to learn its language and nuances.

Cheremes

The visual equivalent of phonemes used in American Sign Language (ASL).

Linguistic Ethnography

An approach that combines ethnographic methods with linguistic analysis.

Non-Verbal Communication

The transmission of messages or signals through non-verbal means, such as gestures and facial expressions.