This document provides an introduction to linguistics. It discusses what language and linguistics are, the universal properties of language including creativity, arbitrariness, discreteness, mutability and inaccessibility. It also covers linguists' approaches to language including linguistic competence versus performance, and descriptive grammar versus prescriptive grammar.
This document provides an introduction to linguistics. It discusses what language and linguistics are, the universal properties of language including creativity, arbitrariness, discreteness, mutability and inaccessibility. It also covers linguists' approaches to language including linguistic competence versus performance, and descriptive grammar versus prescriptive grammar.
Original Title
Introduction to linguistics (English version textbook)
This document provides an introduction to linguistics. It discusses what language and linguistics are, the universal properties of language including creativity, arbitrariness, discreteness, mutability and inaccessibility. It also covers linguists' approaches to language including linguistic competence versus performance, and descriptive grammar versus prescriptive grammar.
This document provides an introduction to linguistics. It discusses what language and linguistics are, the universal properties of language including creativity, arbitrariness, discreteness, mutability and inaccessibility. It also covers linguists' approaches to language including linguistic competence versus performance, and descriptive grammar versus prescriptive grammar.
Faculty of Education, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University What is linguistics? Language and Linguistics What is the language ? What is the language ?
• A means of conveying thought and ideas
• A reflection of speakers’ identity • An aid in group affiliations and social mobility • A tool for recording human history Universal Properties of Language
sounds words The principles
Differences Consonant sounds Vowel sounds
meaning structures noun, verb, adjective, etc.
SVO, SOV, VSO
Basic characteristics Universal Properties of Language
Creativity Arbitrariness Discreteness Mutability Inaccessibility Creativity Creativity is a way in which languages expand theirs resources in order to meet the changing or increasing communicative demands of their speakers Example: • Mike decided to buy an apartment. • Mike decided to buy a big apartment. • Mike decided to buy a big fully-furnished apartment. • Mike decided to buy a big fully-furnished apartment in London. Creativity (cont.)
Example: • act – react • use – reuse • cycle – recycle • decorate – redecorate • broadcast – rebroadcast Arbitrariness A word consists of form (a sound or a group of sounds) and its meaning. The connection between them (linguistic signs) is arbitrary. the form of a word is independent of its meaning. The form is not dictated by the meaning.
Example: Form : p-a-n Meaning : a round metal container for cooking Arbitrariness (cont.) (i) The same meaning is represented by different forms bread (English) Pain (French) a food made of backed flour madrai (Fiji)
(ii) The same form is used to express different meanings
bed (French) [ li ] question marker (Russian) meadow (English) Discreteness All languages contain in sounds, words, and sentences and can be divided into separate individual units. Speakers can identify the sounds in a word and pick out words from a sentence.
Example: (1) “pin” /p/ , /i/ , /n/ (2) Be careful ! There is a pin on the floor. Mutability All languages are constantly changing over time. This kind of change takes place little by little. Example: (1) Placing “ne” before the verb and “not” after it. I ne seye not. ( I do not say. ) (2) “ne” was used infrequently and “not” (or nawt) usually occurred by itself after the verb. I seye not. ( I do not say. ) I saw nowt the girls. ( I did not see the girls.) Mutability (cont)
Example:
(3) “ne” disappears completely and “not” is placed after
auxiliary verbs and modal verbs. I will not say the words. I did not see the girls. Inaccessibility Linguistic knowledge is subconscious. The components of the linguistic system, the sounds, words, structures, and meanings, are acquired with no conscious awareness.
Example: a. Harry almost finished this project. b. *Harry very finished this project. Linguists’ Approach to Language
• Linguistic competence & Linguistic
performance
• Prescriptive grammar & Descriptive grammar
Linguistic competence constitutes unconscious knowledge of language, but that knowledge is tacit, implicit. (Richard Nordquist, 2017)
The subconscious knowledge
underlying speakers’ ability to use their languages Linguistic performance is the actual use of language in concrete situation. (Matthews, P. H. , 2014)
tireness
The slips of stammer the tongue hesitate 'noble tons of soil' for 'noble sons of toil.' Linguistic Linguistic competence performance
The subconscious knowledge The speakers are underlying speakers’ able to apply the ability to use their knowledge in a real languages situation A descriptive grammar is an account of a language that seeks to describe how it is used objectively, accurately, systematically, and comprehensively. (Encyclopedia.com)
Explanation the fact of language use
Explain how language works No assumption of correctness or appropriateness
I didn’t do nothing. A prescriptive grammar is an account of a language that sets out rules for how it should be used and for what should not be used, based on norms derived from a particular model of grammar.
This group believes that some
languages are better than others It has rules of usage that people should follow in order to speak and write correctly and appropriately
