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Lesson 4 - IntroLinx

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Lesson 4 - IntroLinx

Uploaded by

Dalma Vámos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson 4

Introduction to Linguistics
Réka Hajner
[email protected]
KRE, 2024 Autumn
Last time we talked about…
• What language is, what language is not
• How we are communicate in a different way than animals
Languages

• Languages are different

• Individual language users are different

• Own ways of using a language, views and

feelings about language


Languages
• Prescription:
○ Tell everyone how to use language
○ What is correct and what is incorrect
○ No to change
○ Keeping language pure
○ Different institutions, traditions
• Not linguistics!
○ Not relevant, not possible
○ Standardisation, correct use – arbitrary
Languages
• On the other hand… descriptive:
○ Describe how people actually use
language
○ No feelings, values attached, no
problems with change
Language change
• Why do languages change?
• What changes most rapidly and what changes slower?
Functions of language
• A language has to fulfill different functions for the speakers
• What are these functions?

1.Share information
- Referential use

2. Share feelings
- Emotive, expressive
- Swearing, shouting in happiness, in pain
Functions of language
3.Social contact
- Phatic: primary need of humans, indicates that you are friendly
- Thank you, bless you, hi
- Culture bound: small talk

4. Sound effects
- Phonic features, no meaning, just rhythm
- Religious groups, singing, language games
Functions of language
5. Changing reality
- Performative function
- Baptising, weddings, naming, ceremonies, etc.

6. Data storage
- For the future, audience unknown
- In documents, transcriptions, audio recordings
- Historical documents, administration, business reports, scientific
reports
Functions of language
7. Expression of identity
- Langugage use tells everyone about our social status, education,
profession, age, gender, personality

8. Tool for thinking


- Thinking out loud
- Helps concentration
- Inner speech
Thinking and language
• Questions: are they the same?
• Does thinking depend on language, or does
language depend on thinking? Which one
influences the other?

• Inner voice: conscious, directed, rational, logical


thinking
• Versus: pre-linguistic thinking: intentions, pictures,
no language
Language and the world
• Does language influence the we we see the world? Does the way
we see the world influence language?
• Sapir-Whorf hypothesis:
○ Strong version: linguistic determination: language will
determine thinking and how we see the world
○ E.g.: if we don’t have a word for soemthing, we will not be able to
comprehend it
○ Weak version: linguistic relativism: language will influence
thinking and how we see the world
Linguistic relativism

• Arabic – many words for >camel<


• Eskimo – many words for >snow<
• Hopi Indian - masa’ytaka: any flying object which is not a bird
Linguistic relativism
• Pitupi (Australian aboriginal): words for types of hole:
○ yarla - hole on an object
○ pirti – hole in the ground
○ pirnki – hole in a rock
○ kartalpa – small hole in the ground
○ yulpilpa – shallow hole for ants
○ mutara – special hole on spears
○ nyarrkalpa – small hole where small animals live
○ pulpa – hole of rabbits
○ makarnpa – hole of a lizard
○ katarta – the hole which the lizard left behind when they
wake up after winter
Linguistic relativism

• Not only words (vocabulary), grammatical structures as well:


○ Tenses (past – present – future)
○ Numbers: Australian aboriginal languages: all, many,
few, none
■ BUT: they are able to learn to count in their second
language
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
• Weak version generally accepted
• Language has an effect on how we think and
remember, and how difficult mental
processes are for us
• Any examples?
Summary
• Today we learnt about…
• Something that was new for me was…
• Optional homework: watch video (posted on
Moodle)
Summary
• Assignment if you do not want to take an exam:
compare the communication of humans and a chosen
animal using Hockett’s design features
○ Write ~ 300 words
○ Do not use AI for the content (spellcheck,
grammar check – sure)
○ Indicate references / sources
○ Deadline: end of autumn break (3rd of November,
23:59)
○ Upload to Moodle

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