Scribd
Upload
77 views10 pages

The Properties of Human Language

This document outlines 8 key properties of human language: 1) displacement refers to language's ability to refer to past/future and distant places, 2) arbitrariness means there is no natural connection between words and their meanings, 3) productivity allows humans to create new utterances, 4) cultural transmission means language is learned from other speakers not genes, 5) discreteness means sounds carry distinct meanings, 6) duality means language has physical and meaning levels, 7) semanticity is that language carries meaning, and 8) structure dependence refers to language following syntactical rules.

Uploaded by

Cecilia Sosa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
77 views10 pages

The Properties of Human Language

This document outlines 8 key properties of human language: 1) displacement refers to language's ability to refer to past/future and distant places, 2) arbitrariness means there is no natural connection between words and their meanings, 3) productivity allows humans to create new utterances, 4) cultural transmission means language is learned from other speakers not genes, 5) discreteness means sounds carry distinct meanings, 6) duality means language has physical and meaning levels, 7) semanticity is that language carries meaning, and 8) structure dependence refers to language following syntactical rules.

Uploaded by

Cecilia Sosa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

The Properties of Human

Language

Yule, George (1996).The Study of


Language. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
The Properties of Human Language

Unique system of communication


Informative signals: signals which you have
not intentionally sent  body language
Communicative signals: signals you use
intentionally to communicate something
The Properties of Human Language

(1) DISPLACEMENT
human language can refer to past and
future time and to other locations
bee language: dance routine to
communicate the location of nectar
(2) ARBITRARINESS

no natural connection between


linguistic form and its meaning
arbitrary relationship between linguistic
signs and objects of the real world (no
iconic relationship)
(3) PRODUCTIVITY/ CREATIVITY

a child learning a language is active in


forming and producing utterances it
has never heard before
a language user can manipulate his
linguistic resources open endedness
(4) CULTURAL TRANSMISSION

We acquire language with other


speakers - not from parental genes

Language is passed on from one


generation to the next
(5) DISCRETENESS

The sounds used in a language are


meaningfully distinct
e.g.: pack – back
pin - bin
Difference in pronunciation between /p/ and
/b/ sound leads to a difference in meaning
(6) DUALITY

Language is organised on two levels:


Physical level at which we can produce
individual sounds e.g. n, b, i.
Meaning level: when we produce
sounds in combination e.g.: nib, bin
(7) SEMANTICITY

Language carries meaning


(8) STRUCTURE DEPENDENCE

Language is dependent on structure


 syntactical rules

You might also like