topic 4


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

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

  3. Call System – The limited set of sounds and gestures used by animals to communicate.

  4. Symbol – A word, sound, or gesture that represents something else.

  5. FOXP2 Gene – A gene linked to speech and language development in humans.

  6. Historical Linguistics – The study of how languages change over time.

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

  8. Writing System – A set of symbols used to represent spoken language in written form.

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

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

  11. Closed-Call System – A fixed set of sounds animals use to respond to their environment.

  12. Phoneme – The smallest unit of sound that changes meaning (e.g., "bit" vs. "pit").

  13. Morpheme – The smallest unit of meaning in a language (e.g., "run" and "-ing" in "running").

  14. Syntax – The rules that determine sentence structure.

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

  16. Sign Language – A visual language using hand movements, facial expressions, and body gestures.

  17. Linguistic Relativity – The idea that language influences how people think.

  18. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis – The theory that different languages shape different ways of thinking.

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

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

  21. Code-Switching – Shifting between languages or speech styles depending on the situation.

  22. Genderlects – Speech styles associated with different genders.

  23. High-Context Culture – A culture where communication relies heavily on context and indirect cues.

  24. Low-Context Culture – A culture where communication is direct, and meaning is in the words themselves.