杨忠《语言学概论》笔记

Chapter 1 Introduction

Ⅰ.What is language?

1. Different definitions of language

(1) Language is a system whose parts can and must be considered in their

synchronic solidarity. (de Saussure, 1916)

(2) [Language is] a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in length and

constructed out of a finite set of elements. (Chomsky, 1957)

(3) Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating

ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols.

2. Each of the definitions above has pointed out some aspects of the essence of

language, but all of them have left out something. We must see the multi-faceted nature of language.

3. As is agreed by linguists in broad terms, language can be defined as a system of

arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.

Ⅱ.Features of human language

1. Creativity

(1) Language provides opportunities for sending messages that have never

been sent before and for understanding brand new messages.

(2) The grammar rules and the words are finite, but the sentences are infinite.

Every speaker uses language creatively.

2. Duality

(1) Language contains two subsystems, one of sounds and the other of

meanings.

(2) Certain sounds or sequences of sounds stand for certain meanings.

(3) Certain meanings are conveyed by certain speech sounds or sequences

of speech sounds.

3. Arbitrariness

(1) The relationship between the two subsystems of language is arbitrary.

(2) There is no logical connection between sound and meaning.

4. Displacement

(1) There is no limit in time or space for language.

(2) Language can be used to refer to things real or imagined, past, present or

future.

5. Cultural transmission

(1) Culture cannot be genetically transmitted. Instead, it must be learned.

(2) Language is a way of transmitting culture.

6. Interchangeability

All members of a speech community can send and receive messages.

7. Reflexivity

(1) Human languages can be used to describe themselves.

(2) The language used to talk about language is called meta-language.

Ⅲ.Functions of language – three meta-functions

1. The ideational function

To identify things, to think, or to record information.

2. The interpersonal function

To get along in a community.

3. The textual function

To form a text.

Ⅳ.Types of language

1. Genetic classification

2. Typological classification

(1) Analytic language –no inflections or formal changes, grammatical

relationships are shown through word order, such as Chinese and

Vietnamese

(2) Synthetic language – grammatical relationships are expressed by changing

the internal structure of the words, typically by changing the inflectional

endings, such as English and German

(3) Agglutinating language – words are built out of a long sequence of units,

with each unit expressing a particular grammatical meaning, such as

Japanese and Turkish

Ⅴ.The myth of language – language origin

1. The Biblical account

Language was God’s gift to human beings.

2. The bow-wow theory

Language was an imitation of natural sounds, such as the cries of animals, like quack, cuckoo.

3. The pooh-pooh theory

Language arose from instinctive emotional cries, expressive of pain or joy.

4. The yo-he-ho theory

Language arose from the noises made by a group of people engaged in joint labour or effort – lifting a huge hunted game, moving a rock, etc.

5. The evolution theory

Language originated in the process of labour and answered the call of social need.

Ⅵ.What is linguistics?

1. Linguistics is the scientific study of language.

(1) Observing & questioning

(2) Formulating hypotheses

(3) Verifying the hypotheses

(4) Proposing a theory

2. Branches of linguistics

(1) Internal branches: intra-disciplinary divisions

⏹Phonetics

⏹Phonology

⏹Morphology

⏹Syntax

⏹Semantics