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Properties of Human Language

This document summarizes some key properties of human language: 1. Displacement allows humans to talk about past and future events not present. 2. Language is arbitrarily connected to meanings rather than naturally. 3. Humans can creatively produce novel utterances by manipulating linguistic resources. 4. Language is culturally transmitted from generation to generation. 5. Human language has two layers of organization with distinct sounds and meanings. It then contrasts these properties with animal communication, noting animals communicate for immediate purposes while humans can discuss the non-present, and animal signals are fixed while human language allows open-ended creativity.

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Pearl Ogayon
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1K views2 pages

Properties of Human Language

This document summarizes some key properties of human language: 1. Displacement allows humans to talk about past and future events not present. 2. Language is arbitrarily connected to meanings rather than naturally. 3. Humans can creatively produce novel utterances by manipulating linguistic resources. 4. Language is culturally transmitted from generation to generation. 5. Human language has two layers of organization with distinct sounds and meanings. It then contrasts these properties with animal communication, noting animals communicate for immediate purposes while humans can discuss the non-present, and animal signals are fixed while human language allows open-ended creativity.

Uploaded by

Pearl Ogayon
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Republic of the Philippines

CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE


Daet, Camarines Norte

Properties of Human Language

1. Displacement It allows language


users to talk about things and events
not present in the immediate
environment.
2. Arbitrariness - The relationship
between linguistic signs and objects
in the world.
3. Productivity also called as
creativity or open-endedness. The
ability of humans to produce new
expressions from the existing
linguistic knowledge.
4. Cultural transmission A language
is passed from one generation to the
next.

5. Duality or Double Articulation


There is two layers or levels of
organization in human language.

Properties of Human Language


Human Language
Animal Language
Differences
1. Humans can refer to past and
1. Animal communication seems to be
future time.
designed exclusively for this moment,
Examples: your childhood, past
here and now.
events, future plans
Example: when their owners arrive
2. There is no natural connection
2. There is a clear connection between
between a linguistic form and its
the conveyed message and the signal
meaning.
used to convey it.
Ex. Aso - animal
Example: Dog gestures
3. Humans are continually creating
3. fixed reference each signal in
new expressions and novel
animal communication is fixed as
utterances through manipulation of
relating to a particular object or
linguistic resources to describe new
occasion.
objects and situations.
Examples: gay language
4. Language acquisition of humans is 4. Animal creatures are born with a set
based on the culture they are raised
of specific signals that are produce
from or culture orientation.
instinctively.
Example: Korean features but English
speaking
5. Has levels which can be broken
5. Animal communication/signal
down into two. The distinct sound
appears to be a single fixed form that
and distinct meaning. Distinct sound
cannot be broken down into parts.
We can produce individual
significant sounds.
Distinct meaning The ability to
produce number of sound

Human Language & Animal


Language
Similarities
1.

combinations with distinct meanings.


One of the most economical features
of human language.
Example: war-raw, read, dear, dare,
bare-bear
Prepared by: Ms. Pearly Beth C. Ogayon, Instructor 1, CAS, English 100

References: 1. The Study of Language by George Yule

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