简明英语语言学知识点汇总

简明英语语言学知识点
汇总
Document number【AA80KGB-AA98YT-AAT8CB-2A6UT-A18GG】
新编简明英语语言学知识点汇总1 Introduction
1.1 What is linguistics?
Scientific study of language.
Interpretation:
①try to answer the basic questions and probe into various problems related to language;
②linguistics studies not any particular language but language in general;
③scientific study because based on systematic investigation of linguistic data.
1.1.2 The scope of linguistics
The study of language as a whole is often called general linguistic.
1.1.3 Some important distinctions in linguistics
1.2 What is language
1.2.1 Definitions of language
Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.
Characteristics:
①language is system,elements of language are combined according to the rules;
②language is arbitrary in the sense that there is no intrinsic connection between a linguistic symbol and what it stands for,
A rose by any other name would smell as well;
③language is vocal because the primary medium for all language is sound;
④language is human -specific,different from animal communication.
1.2.2 Design features of language
Proposed by American linguist Charles Hockett:comparing the animal & human communication systems.Following are five major design features of human language:
①arbitrariness
No logical connection between meaning and sounds(except onomatopoetic and compound words)
②productivity
It makes to possible to construction and interpretation of new signal by its users.
③duality
Language is a system which consists of two structures. At the lower level there is a structure of sounds,which are meaningless by themselves.But the sounds can grouped or regrouped together into a larger numbers of units of meaning
such as morpheme or words,which are found at the higher level
of system(carp & park).Then the higher level can be arranged
and rearranged into an infinite numbers of sentences;
④Displacement
Language can be used to refer to contexts removed from the immediate situations of the speakers;
⑤cultural transmission
While human capacity for language has a genetic basis,the
details of any language systems are not genetically transmitted, but instead have to be taught and learned.(language is cultural transmitted[language not mutually intelligible] while animal
call system is genetically transmitted)
1.2.3 Functions of language
Three main functions of language which distinct from each other but actually overlapping to some degree:
①descriptive function
The primary function of language;
The Sichuan earthquake is the most serious one China has ever suffered.
②expressive function
Supply information about the user’s
feeling,preference,prejudices and value,etc.I will never come to this coffee shop again.
③social function
Serves to establish and maintain social relations between people. How can I help you, Sir?
Others:
Russian-born structural linguist Roman Jakobson：six elemens (function)of a speech:
Addresser-emotive (动机) addressee-conative(意动) context-referential message-poetic contact-phatic communion
code-metalinguistic
British linguistic M.A.K Halliday:
①ideational function(语篇功能)[included descriptive & expressive functin] is to organize the speaker’s experience of the real or imaginary world.
②interpersonal function is to indicate ,establish,or maintain social relationship between people.[social function]
③textual function is to organize written or spoken texts to cohere within themselves and fit to the particular situation in which they are used.
2.Phonology
2.1 The phonic medium of language
Speech sounds produced by human speech organ
Two major media of communication:speech and writing;
2.2phonetics
2.2.1 what is phonetics?
The study of phonic medium of language;it is concerned with all the sounds that occurs in the world’s language.
发音语言学
听觉语言学)
声学语言学)
2.2.2 organs of speech
Pharyngeal cavity(咽喉)
Nasal cavity（鼻腔）
Oral cavity（口腔）
Voicing:vibration of the vocal cords
Narrow: letter symbols + diacritics(变音符)[p h it] [spit] h→aspiration [phonetician more interested in]
2.2.4 classification of English speech sounds
Monophthongs：
2.3 phonology
2.3.1 phonology & phonetics
Stem: believable (除掉所有的语法成份,
Base：unbelievable (un的词基)
Prefix:change meaning
Suffix: change meaning and parts of speech
Inflectional morpheme:signify tense number case
Word formation:
①Clipping（shortening & abbreviation）
[no change of part of speech]
I.e gym expo memo disco burger quake fridge script
②back-formation
[change of part of speech]
I.e editor-edit hawker-hawk beggar-beg baby-sister--baby-sit
Butcher-butch donation-donate orientation-orient(ate)
③conversion(functional shift)
I.e: N-v v-n a-v a-n
④acronyms
[pronounced as words]
CEO B2B IT CPI IAD WTO BBS(FOR BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM)
APEC AIDS UNESCO UCLA IDD
⑤initialism
[produced as letters]
C.O.D FBI EEC
⑥blending
Smoke+fog=smog
Taikong+astronaut=taikonaut
⑦compounding
Bittersweet landlady
⑧onomatopoeia
Blast rustle
5.Semantics
Some views concerning the study of meaning:
1)the naming theory,plato,words →objects
Limitations: √N ×ADJ ADV V
√Concrete ×abstract
2)the conceptualist view
Semantic triangle,ogden & richards
words→mind→words
Limitations:what is the precisely link symbol and concept unclarify
3)Contextualism
J.R Firth。