语言学教程英汉对照

Linguistics

Chapter 1 Invitations to Linguistics

1. What is language

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.

nguage is a system

A basic observation is that each language contains two systems, a system of sound and a system of meaning.

B. Language is arbitrary

The relation between expression and content is not natural but conventional. And this conventional relation varies from language to language.

e.g.

It is called a “老鼠”in Chinese,

while a “rat”or “mouse”in English

C. Language is vocal

The primary medium of language is sound rather than word. written forms came much later than the spoken forms; we speak more everyday; we learn to speak first.

D. Language is symbolic 象征性的

Language is symbolic in the sense that all the sounds people produce and the ideas, concepts, objects, etc. that these sounds can refer to are bounded up by convention. 惯例Linguistic units are conventional signs.

E. Language is human-specific

Language is possessed only by human beings, other communication systems as possessed by animals or many other life forms are not languages, i.e. they do not manifest such features

as the so-called design features as possessed by human language.

F. Language is for communication

The main and primary function of language is to communicate. People say things to each other to express their communicational needs, and language functions to communicate general attitudes toward life and others.

2. Design features of language

(1) Arbitrariness:任意性

there is no logical connection between meaning and sound.

(2) Duality：双重性

language is a system, which consists of two levels of structures, at the lower level there is the structure of sounds; at the higher level there is the structure of words.

(3) Creativity：创造性

Language is creative in the sense that users can understand and create sentences they have never heard before.

(4) Displacement：移位性

language can be used to communicate about things that are not present in our immediate communicational context.

（5）Cultural transmission:文化传播

the details of the linguistic system must be learned anew by each speaker. Language is not transmitted biologically from generation to generation.

（6）Interchangeability交换性

any human being can be both a producer and a receiver of messages.

3. Functions of language

（1）Informative信息功能

The use of language to record facts, to state what things are like, and to exchange information.

（2）Interpersonal 人际功能

The most important sociological use of language, which serves to establish and maintain people’s status in a society.

（3）Performative施为功能

Language can be used to do things, (Austin and Searl)to change the social status or the immediate state of affairs of people.

（4）Emotive情感功能

Language can be used to express the emotional state of the speaker.

（5）Phatic communion寒暄功能

Ritual exchanges, exchanges that have little meaning but help to maintain our relationships with other people.

（6）Recreational 娱乐功能

the use of language to have fun.

（7）Metalingual元功能

Language can be used to explain or describe itself or other languages.

4. four principles for studying linguistics:

（1）Exhaustiveness穷尽性

（2）Consistency一致性

（3）Economy经济性

（4）Objectiveness客观性

5. Main branches of linguistics