Linguistics Universal
It is a concept used in linguistics to identify commonalities and recurring features that exist in
different languages. Linguistic universals are observations or generalizations about language
structure, grammar, syntax, phonetics, or semantics that are found in all or nearly all languages.
For example, all languages have nouns and verbs, or All spoken languages have consonants and
vowels.
These are the characteristics of linguistic universal from the book introduction to language. The first one
is:
1. Wherever humans exists, language also exist.
First and foremost, it enables communication between individuals and facilitates the sharing of
information and knowledge. Through language, humans can convey complex ideas, express their
needs and desires, and engage in social interactions. Even in the absence of a formal language
system, humans have a natural inclination to develop and use some form of communication. For
example, studies have shown that isolated communities or individuals who have had no
exposure to formal language will create their own systems of communication, often referred to
as "home sign" or "homemade" languages. This demonstrates the innate human drive to
establish means of communication.
2. There are no “primitive” languages.
There are no primitive languages in the sense of being less developed or inferior to others. Every
language, regardless of its complexity or simplicity, represents the sophisticated communication
system of a particular culture. Each language exhibits unique features and has the ability to
convey complex thoughts and ideas, reflecting the richness and diversity of human linguistic
expression. It's worth noting that some researchers have studied the origins of language and
proposed hypotheses about how it might have emerged in early human societies. However,
these theories are speculative and do not suggest the existence of primitive languages in the
present day.
3. All languages changes through time.
All languages undergo continuous evolution over time due to various factors, including cultural
shifts, technological advancements, and interactions between different communities. These
changes encompass vocabulary expansion, grammatical modifications, and phonetic shifts,
resulting in language variations and new dialects emerging. Language change is an inherent and
ongoing process that reflects the dynamic nature of human communication and societal
development.
4. In spoken languages, the relationship between sounds and meanings is mostly arbitrary, as
there is no inherent connection between the sounds produced and the concepts they represent.
The meanings of words are conventionally agreed upon by a community of speakers. Similarly,
in sign languages, the relationship between gestures and meanings is also largely arbitrary, with
signs representing concepts in a conventional and agreed-upon manner within the deaf
community. Both spoken and sign languages rely on social conventions and cultural agreements
to establish meaning.
5. All human languages utilize a finite set of discrete sounds or gestures known as phonemes or
manual signs, respectively. These sounds or gestures are combined to form meaningful
elements or words, which can then be combined in countless ways to create an infinite set of
possible sentences. For example, in English, the phonemes /b/, /æ/, and /g/ combine to form
the word "bag," which can be further combined with other words to form sentences like "I
bought a bag at the store." Similarly, in American Sign Language (ASL), the manual signs for "I,"
"buy," "bag," "store," can be combined to convey the same sentence.
6. Grammar encompasses rules that govern the construction of words and sentences within a
language, ensuring consistency and coherence. These rules provide a framework for organizing
linguistic elements and maintaining structural patterns that facilitate communication and
understanding.
7. Every spoken language includes discrete sound segments like p, n, or a, which can be defined by
a finite set of sound properties or features. Every spoken language has a class of vowels and a
class of consonants.
8. Similar grammatical categories (for example, noun, verb) are found in all languages.
Similar grammatical categories, such as nouns and verbs, are found in all languages, providing a
means to classify and structure different types of words. For example, in English, "cat" is a noun,
representing a person, place, thing, or idea, while "run" is a verb, denoting an action or state.
These grammatical categories serve as universal tools for organizing and expressing meaning
across different languages.
9. There are semantic universals, such as “male” or “female”, “animals” or “human,” found in
every language in the world.
Semantic universals refer to concepts or categories that exist in every language, such as "male"
or "female," "animals" or "human." These universal concepts provide a foundation for
understanding and classifying the world around us, transcending linguistic and cultural
differences. For example, regardless of the language spoken, the distinction between male and
female is universally present and understood in human societies.
10. Every language has a way of referring to past time, forming questions, issuing commands, and so
on.
11. Speakers of all languages are capable of producing and comprehending an infinite set of
sentences.
12. Any normal child, born anywhere in the world, of any racial, geographical, social, or economic
heritage is capable of learning any language to which he or she is exposed. The differences we find
among languages cannot be due to biological reasons.
Language acquisition is a universal ability of all typically developing children, regardless of their
background, and it is not influenced by biological factors. For example, a child born in Japan to
Japanese parents or a child born in Brazil to Brazilian parents are both capable of learning any
language they are exposed to, whether it's Japanese, Portuguese, or any other language,
highlighting the influence of environmental and cultural factors on language development.
