Language

Language Communication – transmitting information Many animals communicate Call systems – system of communication limited to a set number of signals Human language is more complex and can convey more complicated information

Origins of Human Language Steps toward language proposed by Hockett 1970’s Prelanguage – Blending – new calls produced by combining two old ones Blending – new calls produced by combining two old ones Duality of Patterning – arrangements of blended sounds allow limitless number of sounds Still limited compared to modern language

Origins of Human Language When did language emerge? Genus Homo 2 mya Genus Homo 2 mya Modern humans 200,000 ya Modern humans 200,000 ya Increased tool complexity 50,000 ya Increased tool complexity 50,000 ya

Human Language Conventionality Association between a series of sounds and an object Association between a series of sounds and an object Certain combinations of sounds mean things because everyone agrees that they do Certain combinations of sounds mean things because everyone agrees that they do We can use a small number of sounds, combine them in different ways to mean many things We can use a small number of sounds, combine them in different ways to mean many things

Human Language ConventionalityProductivity Words can be put together in sentences Words can be put together in sentences Infinite number of sentences can be created Infinite number of sentences can be created Language is flexible and can convey lots of information Language is flexible and can convey lots of information

Human Language ConventionalityProductivityDisplacement The ability to convey information about something not present The ability to convey information about something not present Ability to think abstractly– about past, future, pretend Ability to think abstractly– about past, future, pretend

Learning Language By interacting with others who speak it Children can learn language more easily than adults Noam Chomsky 1975 universal grammar Basic set of rules that form foundation of all languages Basic set of rules that form foundation of all languages Children have this basic idea of how words should go together Children have this basic idea of how words should go together

Language Structure Phonology – a system of sounds Morphology – a system for creating words from sounds Syntax – a system of rules for combining words into sentences Semantics – a system that relates words to meaning

Language Structure Phonology – a system of sounds Phones – set of sounds used in language Phones – set of sounds used in language International Phonetic Alphabet – sounds of all the world’s languages International Phonetic Alphabet – sounds of all the world’s languages Each language uses a set of phones that speakers learn to pronounce and distinguish Each language uses a set of phones that speakers learn to pronounce and distinguish

Language Structure Phonology – a system of sounds Phoneme – smallest sound unit that distinguishes meaning in a language Phoneme – smallest sound unit that distinguishes meaning in a language /d/ and /th/ are phenomes, their different sounds change meaning : den and then /d/ and /th/ are phenomes, their different sounds change meaning : den and then Allophones – different sounds, same meaning Allophones – different sounds, same meaning /t/ in stick, tick, and little are different phones(sounds) but not in a way that changes meaning /t/ in stick, tick, and little are different phones(sounds) but not in a way that changes meaning

Language Structure Morphology – a system for creating words Morpheme – smallest unit of a language that has meaning eg. In dogs, s makes plural Morpheme – smallest unit of a language that has meaning eg. In dogs, s makes plural Bound morphemes – have to be used with another unit of meaning, like s in dogs Bound morphemes – have to be used with another unit of meaning, like s in dogs Free morpheme – can stand on its own, like dog Free morpheme – can stand on its own, like dog Word – smallest part of a sentence that has meaning dog, teacher, unlocks Word – smallest part of a sentence that has meaning dog, teacher, unlocks

Language Structure Morphology Languages differ in the number of morphemes in a word and how to combine them Languages differ in the number of morphemes in a word and how to combine them Isolating languages have few morphemes per word Agglutinating and synthetic languages have many Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän Danube steamship company captain in German Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän Danube steamship company captain in German

Language Structure Syntax – the arrangement of words to form sentences In English word order is important In English word order is important The dog bit the man. The man bit the dog. In Latin word endings indicate subject and object rather than word order In Latin word endings indicate subject and object rather than word order Gender classification Gender classification Romance languages – noun has gender, verbs and adjectives must agree with gender of noun Latin and German also have a neutral category Papago has living things and growing things

Language Structure Semantics – a system that relates words to meaning Lexicon – words in a language, vocabulary Lexicon – words in a language, vocabulary Reflects what is important in that culture Hunter gatherers can name plants

Language and Culture Sociolinguistics – study of the performance of communication How speech varies depending on social situation, status, relationship How speech varies depending on social situation, status, relationship Formal and informal structures eg tu and usted May even use different language, at home vs in official business especially where social hierarchy like colonialism

Language and Culture Languages and dialects When there is more than one way to say something, both linguistically correct, one socially correct When there is more than one way to say something, both linguistically correct, one socially correct the most powerful group decides the “correct” use in the language, other uses are dialects Eg. Is not vs. ain’t I don’t have any vs. I don’t got no I don’t have any vs. I don’t got no

Language and Culture Pidgins and Creoles Pidgin Pidgin Language of trade No one speaks as first language Vocabulary limited to interaction Creole Creole Language composed of elements of other languages Spoken as first language As complex and rich as other languages

Sapir-Wharf Hypothesis Language plays a role in how people understand the world Concepts such as time, space, and matter are conditioned by the structure of language

Non-Verbal Communication Through artifacts Clothing, jewelry, tattoos, piercing Clothing, jewelry, tattoos, piercing Haptics – study of touch Handshakes, pats, kisses, hugs Handshakes, pats, kisses, hugs Chronemics – understanding of time What does it mean to show up late/early What does it mean to show up late/early Proxemics – study of interpersonal space Streets, buildings, furniture, personal space Streets, buildings, furniture, personal space Kinesics – study of body position, facial expression, movement, gaze smiling smiling

Language Change Historical linguists study how language changes over time Changing sounds The Great Vowel Shift The Great Vowel Shift Changing syntax In Old English word order not important In Old English word order not important Changing lexicon Comparative linguistics studies change to discover relationships to other languages Comparative linguistics studies change to discover relationships to other languages