LING 1000 Lecture 1 Introduction (1)

INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS

Lecture Structure

  • OUTLINE

    • Language and linguistics

    • How are grammars alike?

    • Specialization for language

    • ‘Grammar’

    • Language change

    • Why study linguistics?

    • Goals of this course

LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS

Linguistic Diversity

  • Over 140 languages spoken natively in Toronto.

  • Importance of understanding personal linguistic environments.

Core Knowledge Areas

  • Sounds of Language:

    • Phonetics: Study of sounds available in the language.

    • Phonology: Patterns of sounds (e.g., English: "spa" vs. unacceptable "*psa").

    • Reference: Attic Greek example of sound usage ("psauō").

  • Words of Language (Morphology):

    • Study of how words are formed from smaller meaning units.

    • Examples: "run", "read", derivations into "runner", "readers".

  • Sentence Structure (Syntax):

    • Examines how words combine to form sentences.

  • Meaning (Semantics):

    • Analysis of how meaning is derived in language.

Defining Grammar

  • A grammar is a complex system of rules governing sound organization into words and sentences (Denham and Lobeck 2009: 7).

Competence vs. Performance

  • Competence:

    • Knowledge allowing understanding and production of language (mental grammar).

  • Performance:

    • Actual language output by speakers.

  • Competence is unconscious and inferred from performance data.

LANGUAGE MYTHS

  • Common misconceptions about linguists: they do not always speak many languages.

Linguistics Defined

  • Scientific study of human language:

    • Use of language, knowledge needed, structure, change, and acquisition.

  • Despite complexity, language is systematic and can be studied scientifically.

Verifiable Statements in Language

  • Discussion on language claims:

    • Group speaking abilities.

    • Primitive language categories.

    • Existence of nouns and verbs in all languages.

    • Categories indicating listener inclusion.

Linguistic Commonalities

  • Despite diversity, universal properties exist across languages.

HOCKETT’S DESIGN FEATURES

Key Design Features of Language

  1. Mode of Communication

  2. Semanticity: All signals carry meaning.

  3. Pragmatic Function: All signals serve a purpose.

  4. Interchangeability: Users can both transmit and receive messages.

  5. Cultural Transmission: Language is learned through culture.

  6. Displacement: Ability to talk about things not present.

  7. Arbitrariness: No intrinsic connection between signifier and signified.

  8. Discreteness: Language can be broken down into smaller elements.

  9. Productivity: Infinite potential to create novel sentences.

  10. Duality of Patterning: Combination of meaningless units to form meaningful larger units.

Examples of Creativity in Language

  • Constructing new words and phrases:

    • "beautify" vs. "uglify" and respective noun forms.

  • Kiowa Language Example: Count distinctions in dog quantity.

SPECIALIZATION FOR LANGUAGE

  • Grammatical knowledge is unconscious and rule-governed.

  • Acquisition of language occurs quickly, often without explicit instruction (Chomsky’s UG).

Similarities Among Human Languages

  • Finite set of sounds combinable into meaningful units.

  • Shared grammatical categories across languages (e.g., noun, verb).

TYPES OF GRAMMAR

Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Grammar

  • Prescriptive: Rules dictating how language should be used, often valuing certain dialects.

  • Descriptive: Objective analysis of actual language use without judgment.

Origin of Prescriptive Rules

  • Tend to be influenced by social and political factors, often based on the most powerful group.

  • Standard dialect usage reinforces prescriptive views.

  • Historical influences, e.g., English grammarians adopting Latin structures.

Evolution of Language Forms

  • Changes across stages of English: Old, Middle, Early Modern, Present Day English.

  • Examples of split infinitives across language history.

LANGUAGE CHANGE

  • All languages change due to:

    • Contact with other languages.

    • Internal competing pressures.

    • Trends in use.

  • Quote from Walt Whitman illustrating the organic nature of language.

WHY STUDY LINGUISTICS?

Practical Applications

  • Applications in:

    • Dictionary creation.

    • Language revitalization.

    • First and second language education.

    • Translation and interpretation.

    • Speech pathology and audiology.

    • Computational linguistics.

Linguistics as a Career

  • Wide variety of opportunities in the field.

Linguistics: An Intriguing Field of Study

  • Notable facts:

    • Approximately 6000 languages globally; all distinct sound structures but many similarities.

    • Language as a fundamental tool of human culture.

GOALS OF THIS COURSE

  • Understanding patterns in:

    • Morphology, syntax, semantics, phonetics, and phonology.

  • Exploring similarities and differences among languages.

  • Developing analytical skills in language data.

  • Investigating usage across different groups and language evolution.

  • Dispelling misconceptions about language.

SUMMARY

  • Linguistics as scientific study of language encompassing various elements.

  • Linguists respect all languages as equal and recognize the fluid nature of living languages.