Linguistics

Rebecca L. Damron
September 15, 2004

Introduction

Linguistics-The discipline that studies language Assumptions that we make:

1. Humans are specialized for language
2. Language is a creative system
3. Native speakers participate in linguistic competence-the ability to form and interpret sounds words and sentences--the grammar--of their language.
4. All languages have a grammar
5. All grammars are equal
6. Grammars are alike in basic ways
7. Grammars change over time
8. Grammatical knowledge is subconscious

Disciplines in Linguistics

• Descriptive
• Sociolinguistics
• Psycholinguistics
• Neurolinguistics
• Language Change and Variation
• Philosophy of Language
• Corpus Linguistics
• Cultural Linguistics

Structure of Languages

Phonology

• The study of the sound system of a language
• Systematic relationships of sounds to each other in a language Xhosa

Morphology

• The study of morphemes, the smallest unit of meaning
• Prefixes, suffixes, roots—infixes
• Word creation

Syntax

• The study of sentences
• Chomsky-transformational grammar

Semantics

• The study of meaning
• Compositional analysis

Pragmatics

• The study of language in use
• Discourse analysis

Approaches to the study of language

• Major questions:
  • Is language part of the general cognitive system?
  • Or is it a specialized cognitive capacity?
  • Can we study language apart from the context in which language is produced and used?