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What is a linguist?
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Linguistics has many subfields
• Phonetics• Phonology• Syntax• Semantics• Pragmatics• Morphology
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Phonetics
• The study of minimal sound units of a language
• Example: beat, bit, bat
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Phonology
• The language-specific study of the distribution of speech soundsExample: Ptolemy
PterodactylCaptive
Example: thedogisplayinginthebackyardthe dog is playing in the back
yard
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Morphology
• Study of word formation(breaking down individual words into smaller parts)
UnbelieveabilityUngiraffelikeBaker vs. *erbakeNicley vs. *bookly
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Anytime you see a *it means you’re looking at an example that is
ungrammatical
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Syntax
• Study of how words combine to form phrases and sentences1) I will pick the package up at 8 o’clock. 2) At eight o’clock, I will pick the package up. 3) *Package up pick at o’clock will the eight I.4) *I will picks the package up at eight o’clock.
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Semantics
• The study of the ability of determine the meaning of sentences
• Couch vs. sofa• “duck”
• The green duck dawdled around the cactus.• The duck dawdled around the green cactus.• The platypus ducked under the sofa. • !The sofa ducked under the platypus.
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Anytime you see a !it means you’re looking at an example that is
semantically anomolous
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Pragmatics
• The study of meaning in context– Can you close the door? – What a beautiful cake!– “Dude, ‘sup?” vs. “Good morning, sir”– Chillaxin’ vs. resting
When greeting a professor, it would be pragmatically awkward to use “#Dude, ‘sup?”
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Anytime you see a #it means you’re looking at an example that is
pragmatically awkward
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POP QUIZ
A. SyntaxB. SemanticsC. PhoneticsD. PragmaticsE. PhonologyF. Morphology
1. Context2. Meaning3. Sentences4. Words5. Distribution of speech
sounds6. Minimal speech
sounds
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POP QUIZ
A. Ungrammatical
B. Semantically Anomolous
(meaning is weird)
C. Pragmatically Awkward (wouldn’t be used in that context)
1.#2.!3.*
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What linguists do besides teach?
• Document (Endangered) Languages• Work on voice recognition programs• Perfect spell-check/grammar check• Shape language-learning textbooks/software• Search through large quantities of texts
looking for new words
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LANGUAGEWhile linguistics has many facets, all linguists have one thing in common:
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What is language?
Get in groups of 2-3 and write your very best definition of language.
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Some stats about language
• 6,000 languages spoken in the world• But 90% of the population speaks only 10% of
them• Languages are very diverse, yet there are
many universal properties of languages• There are some characteristics shares by all
languages as well as characteristics that no language has
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Competence vs. Performance
• Competence = what we know about a language (hidden potential)
• Performance = what we produce (observable)• Walking analogy (even when you’re sitting,
you have the competence to walk)
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What language is NOT
• Language is not writing (p. 13) – Archeological evidence– Writing does not exist everywhere– Writing must be taught– Neurolinguistic evidence– Writing can be edited
• Language is not prescriptive grammar (p.14)
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Prescriptive vs. Descriptive
• Prescriptive grammar is the socially embedded notion of the “correct” or “proper” way to use a language
• Descriptive grammar describes what happens in a spoken language and, therefore, accepts the patterns a speaker uses without judgment
• (see page 16 for double negative example)• (for practice, see page 31, question 12)
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Design Features of a Languageby Charles Hockett
• Mode of communication• Semanticity• Pragmatic Function• Interchangeability• Cultural Transmission• Arbitrariness• Discreteness• Displacement• Productivity