what is language?. introduction in order to interact,human beings have developed a language which...

WHAT IS WHAT IS LANGUAGE?LANGUAGE?

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

In order to interact,human beings have developed In order to interact,human beings have developed a language which distinguishes them from the a language which distinguishes them from the rest of the animal world.rest of the animal world.

On the one hand, language is an innate ability On the one hand, language is an innate ability that humanity posess and on the other hand, it is that humanity posess and on the other hand, it is a complex process that requires the a complex process that requires the understanding of it as a system, including its understanding of it as a system, including its functions, structure and purpose.functions, structure and purpose.

Due to the universal necessity of communication, Due to the universal necessity of communication, several differents types of languages have been several differents types of languages have been developed under the influence of other languages developed under the influence of other languages and relevant key factors in historyand relevant key factors in history

WHAT IS LANGUAGE?

SYSTEM INLANGUAGE

FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE DEFINITION

LANGUAGE TYPES

LANGUAGE UNIVERSALS

PHONOLOGY GEOGRAPHICALCLASSIFICATION

GENETICCLASSIFICATION

CONSTRUCTEDLANGUAGE

MORPHOLOGY

SYNTAX

SEMANTICS

GRAMMAR

TYPOLOGICALCLASSIFICATION

ANALYTICLANGUAGE

POLYSYNTHETICLANGUAGE

AGGLUTINATIVELANGUAGE

INFLECTING LANGUAGE

DEFINITIONDEFINITION

LANGUAGE IS A SYSTEM OF LANGUAGE IS A SYSTEM OF ARBITRARY VOCAL SYMBOLS BY ARBITRARY VOCAL SYMBOLS BY MEANS OF WHICH THOUGHT IS MEANS OF WHICH THOUGHT IS

CONVEY FROM ONE HUMAN BEING TO CONVEY FROM ONE HUMAN BEING TO ANOTHER.ANOTHER.

SYSTEM IN LANGUAGESYSTEM IN LANGUAGE

AT THE LEVEL OF PHONOLOGY (sound)AT THE LEVEL OF PHONOLOGY (sound)

System can be seen in the ways in which the phonemes can be combined into words.

Example: there are restrictions on the combination in which English phonemes can occur. We can have “spl” but never “sgl” at the begining.


AT THE LEVEL OF MORPHOLOGY (form)AT THE LEVEL OF MORPHOLOGY (form) It is found in the way in which words are It is found in the way in which words are

constructed from smaller parts.constructed from smaller parts. The smallest element in a language is called a The smallest element in a language is called a

morpheme. A word may consist of one morpheme. A word may consist of one morpheme or of many. For example: the word morpheme or of many. For example: the word ““unthoughtfulunthoughtful” consists of three morphemes. ” consists of three morphemes. Bound morphemes, like prefixes and suffixes, Bound morphemes, like prefixes and suffixes, are used for the formation of new words. For are used for the formation of new words. For example: fun (n)+Y=example: fun (n)+Y=funnyfunny (adj) (adj)


AT THE LEVEL OF SYNTAX (order)AT THE LEVEL OF SYNTAX (order)

System is also found in the rules for System is also found in the rules for combining words into utterances.combining words into utterances.

For example: For example: The dog bit JohnThe dog bit John ( we know ( we know it was the dog and not John the one that it was the dog and not John the one that performed the action)performed the action)


AT THE LEVEL OF SEMANTICS (meaning)AT THE LEVEL OF SEMANTICS (meaning)

Meaning depends on the language and its Meaning depends on the language and its needs. It depends on the context it is used needs. It depends on the context it is used and the spectrum it should cover.and the spectrum it should cover.

For example: Latin has only one word for For example: Latin has only one word for dark bluedark blue and and dark greendark green but no word but no word exactly corresponding to English exactly corresponding to English grey grey


AT THE LEVEL OF GRAMMARAT THE LEVEL OF GRAMMAR

At this level the change of word-order may At this level the change of word-order may change the meaning of the sentence. change the meaning of the sentence.

For example: For example: The dog bits JohnThe dog bits John. This word . This word order, S-V-O, tell us which is the biter and order, S-V-O, tell us which is the biter and which the bittenwhich the bitten

LANGUAGES are said to be ARBITRARY LANGUAGES are said to be ARBITRARY because there is no necessary or natural because there is no necessary or natural relationship between the words of a given relationship between the words of a given language and the concepts that they language and the concepts that they represent represent

A HUMAN LANGUAGE is a signalling A HUMAN LANGUAGE is a signalling system. As its material, it uses vocal system. As its material, it uses vocal sounds. A language is something which is sounds. A language is something which is spokenspoken, the written language is , the written language is secondary and derivativesecondary and derivative

A LANGUAGE is a system of vocal A LANGUAGE is a system of vocal sounds. These sounds are SYMBOLIC. A sounds. These sounds are SYMBOLIC. A symbol is a kind of sign. A sign is symbol is a kind of sign. A sign is something that stands for something else.something that stands for something else.

LANGUAGE FUNCTIONSLANGUAGE FUNCTIONS

FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGEFUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE

Language is used for more than one purposeLanguage is used for more than one purpose It enables us to influence one another’s It enables us to influence one another’s

behaviour: behaviour: For an expressive purpose. For example: For an expressive purpose. For example:

relieving feelingsrelieving feelings As an instrument of thought. For example: to As an instrument of thought. For example: to

clarify ideas or a subjectclarify ideas or a subject To strengthen the bonds of cohesion between To strengthen the bonds of cohesion between

the members of a society. For example: when the members of a society. For example: when two neighbors gossip. two neighbors gossip.

LANGUAGE TYPESLANGUAGE TYPES

GEOGRAPHICALCLASSIFICATION

GENETICCLASSIFICATION

TYPOLOGICALCLASSIFICATION

CONSTRUCTEDLANGUAGES

LANGUAGETYPES


Geographical classificationGeographical classification: Languages : Languages share similar features: their speakers have share similar features: their speakers have been in contact for a long time within a been in contact for a long time within a common community and the language common community and the language converged in the course of the history.converged in the course of the history.

Genetic classificationGenetic classification: Languages are : Languages are grouped into families with a common grouped into families with a common ansestor. ansestor.


Typological classificationTypological classification: Languages : Languages are grouped as the result of the internal are grouped as the result of the internal structure of the language (grammar) on structure of the language (grammar) on the bases of basic order of verb, subject the bases of basic order of verb, subject and objectand object

Constructed LanguagesConstructed Languages: Artificial : Artificial languages for practical, experimental, languages for practical, experimental, personal or ideological reasons. personal or ideological reasons.

TYPOLOGICAL TYPOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATIONCLASSIFICATION

TYPOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATIONTYPOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION

ANALYTIC LANGUAGE: It uses very few bound It uses very few bound

morphemes such as morphemes such as English prefixes and English prefixes and suffixes (Refill;slowLY) suffixes (Refill;slowLY) and in the inflexions of and in the inflexions of English nouns and verbs English nouns and verbs (boxES; talkING; talkED)(boxES; talkING; talkED)

For ex: Chinese has few For ex: Chinese has few bound forms,its words bound forms,its words being mostly one-syllable being mostly one-syllable morphemes or morphemes or compounds of three compounds of three morphemesmorphemes

Have free morphemes considered to be independent words

have stricter and more elaborate syntactic rules

rely heavily on context and pragmatic considerations for the interpretation of sentences


AGGLUTINATIVE LANGUAGE

In linguistics, agglutination is the morphological process of adding affixes to the base of a word. Languages that use agglutination widely are called agglutinative languages. Some languages may use agglutination in the most-often-used constructs, and use agglutination heavily in certain contexts, such as word derivation.

Japanese is an agglutinating language, adding information such as negation, passive voice, past tense, honorific degree and causality in the verb form. Word is built up out of a

long linear sequence. Often a single morpheme

constitutes a sentence. E.g. in Swahili: mimi ni–

na –ku penda wewe


INFLECTING LANGUAGES:

Grammatical relationships are expressed by changing the internal structure of the words through inflections

Suffixes typically express several grammatical meanings.

E.g. in Polish: szloch-am (-am = 1sg, pres. or cont. tense, active, indicative) 'I am sobbing'

Many Indo-European and Semitic languages belong to this group


POLYSYNTHETIC LANGUAGE

A Polysynthetic language is that in which the greatest number of ideas are comprised in the least number of words

These highly synthetic languages often have very long words that correspond to complete sentences in less synthetic languages.

Forms of synthesis: There are several ways in which a language can exhibit synthetic characteristics:In derivational synthesis, morphemes of different types (nouns, verbs, affixes, etc.) are joined to create new words.

For example:English: antidisestablishmentarianism => "against-ending-institutionalize-condition-advocate-ideology"

LANGUAGE UNIVERSALSLANGUAGE UNIVERSALS


Language universals refers to features Language universals refers to features which all languages posses, and must which all languages posses, and must posses. Typology examines language posses. Typology examines language variation, while the study of universals variation, while the study of universals tries to establish the limits of this variation. tries to establish the limits of this variation. The search for linguistics universals was The search for linguistics universals was influenced by the work of Noam Chomsky influenced by the work of Noam Chomsky who maintains that human language is who maintains that human language is innate; that is to say, all languages have innate; that is to say, all languages have the same underlying structurethe same underlying structure


Some universals are absolute. For Some universals are absolute. For example, that all languages have vowels.example, that all languages have vowels.

Some are not quite universals. For Some are not quite universals. For example, nearly all languages have nasal example, nearly all languages have nasal consonants but there are just a few that consonants but there are just a few that lack them.lack them.

what is language?. introduction in order to interact,human beings have developed a language which...

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