E217 lecture 1
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This document provides an introduction to the field of linguistics. It discusses the origins of human language and defines linguistics as the scientific study of language. The key branches of linguistics are outlined, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, linguistic typology, discourse analysis, psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics. Examples of what is studied within each branch are provided.
E217 lecture 1
- 1. Introduction to Linguistics E 217 Week 1 LECTURER: MISS ERGAYA GERAIR ALSOUT 1
- 2. References McGregor B. (2009). Linguistics An Introduction. Burton, Déchaine, & Vatikiotis-Bateson (2012). Linguistics for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd. Yule, G. (1985). The Study of Language. Cambridge University Press. 1/11/2019 2
- 3. The origins of human language Four theories represent the origin of language: 1) The divine source 2) The natural sound source 3) The physical adaptation source Teeth, lips, mouth, larynx and pharynx The human brain 4) The genetic source 1/11/2019 3
- 4. Knowing a Language Is a uniquely human ability to speak a language Every human has a language (or languages) to use in his or her everyday life Genetic endowment Animals do not speak 1/11/2019 4
- 5. Knowing What Language Is Linguistics is not the study of languages It is the study of language Languages differ in their sound inventory, vocabulary, sentence patterns, and so on Linguists try to understand the nature of human language, find “common sets of features” shared by all the languages Analogy with cars There are different cars They share the common features 1/11/2019 5
- 6. Features of human language 1. Displacement: to talk about past, present and future. 2. Arbitrariness: no natural connection between linguistic form and its meaning. 3. Productivity: the ability to produce and create new utterances. 4. Cultural transmission: language is not inherited from parental genes. 5. Duality: level of form and level of meaning. 6. Reflexivity: conveying information about themselves. 1/11/2019 6
- 7. What is Linguistics? The scientific study of language Collect data (corpus, elicitation, experimentation) We take actual language data as the objective Language use by speakers (written / spoken) Data from the user’s intuition Describe language, as it is spoken and written, in a critical manner, or, by way of thinking about language Explain language As a result of describing, we develop hypotheses and confront them with observations. 1/11/2019 7
- 8. Branches of linguistics 1) Phonetics 2) Phonology 3) Morphology 4) Syntax 5) Semantics 6) Pragmatics 7) Sociolinguistics 8) Historical linguistics 9) Linguistic Typology 10) Discourse analysis 11) Psycholinguistics 12) Neurolinguistics 1/11/2019 8
- 9. Phonetics The sounds of languages How speech sounds are made and how they are perceived. Phonology The way sounds are patterned in a language. Morphology How words are structured, how they are made of smaller meaningful parts. Syntax The ways words go together to form sentences. 1/11/2019 9
- 10. Semantics The aspects of meaning that are encoded by words and grammar. Pragmatics The aspects of meaning of an utterance that come from its use in a particular context. Discourse analysis Study of stretches of language, both spoken and written, larger than the sentence. Attempt to find regularities. How texts are made coherent Sociolinguistics Study of language in its social context. Relation between society and language. The variation in languages associated with social phenomena (social group). Historical linguistics How language changes over time Phonology, semantics, syntax, pragmatics 1/11/2019 10
- 11. Psycholinguistics Mental processes involved in language production, comprehensions, and acquisition Neurolinguistics Processes of language activities in the brain Linguistic Typology Study of the range and limitations on structural variation among languages Discovering the variation by classifying languages into types according to some structural feature Phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics Not a mere comparison of languages but achievement of classification of languages 1/11/2019 11