Invitations to Linguistics(II)

语言学导论

Chapter I Invitations to Linguistics (II)

语言学导论

What is language?Design features of language Functions of language. Origin of language (optional)

General review

语言学导论

What Is Language?Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.

语言学导论

Design Features (设计/定义特征)What are the design features of language? The features that define our human languages can be called design features. They are:Arbitrariness Duality Creativity Displacement

语言学导论

Arbitrariness(任意性)Arbitrariness : the fact that the forms of linguistic signs bears no natural relationships to their meaning. i.e., there is no logical connection between meaning and sounds. It has different levels: A) Between the sound and morpheme and its meaning. e.g. onomatopoeic words: Creak,Bang,Bow bow,cuckoo B) at the syntactic level Syntax is the ways the sentences are constructed according to the grammar. Language is not arbitrary at this level. (a) He came in and sat down. (b) He sat down and came in.

语言学导论

C)Arbitrariness and convention ) The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Let sleeping dog lie. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Arbitrariness of language makes it potentially creative, and conventionality makes learning of language laborious. It is the conventionality of a language that is more worthy of noticing compared with arbitrariness.

语言学导论

Duality (双重性)Duality: the property of having two levels of structures, such that units of the primary level (words) are composed of elements of the secondary level (sounds) and each of the two levels has its own principle of organization. (Lyons, 1981:20)The secondary units are meaningless and the primary units have distinct and identifiable meaning. The property of duality exist in such a system, namely, with both elements and units. Meaningless sounds-> morpheme -> words -> language e.g. /k/, /a:/, /p/ ,/s/ -> carps and parks

语言学导论

Traffic Lights and Animals’ CallsNo. Obviously, it is not a double-level system. Do theonly one-to-one There is systems of relationship between traffic lights and signs and meaning but the some animals’ meaning units calling havecannot be duality? divided into smaller meaningless elements further. So the traffic light only has the primary level and lacks the secondary level like animals’ calls.

语言学导论

Creativity (创造性)Creativity: Language is resourceful because of its duality and Recursiveness. Because of duality, the speaker is able to combine the basic linguistics units to form an infinite set of sentences, most of which are new but can be instantly understood by people. It is human specific. e.g. A three-eyed white monkey is in the bed of the French Emperor.

语言学导论

Recursiveness provides a theoretical basis for language’s potential to create endless sentences. e.g.a) He bought a book which was written by a teacher who taught in a school which was known for its graduates who… b) Today I encountered an old friend who was my classmates when I was in elementary sc

hool where there was an apple orchard in which we slid to select ripe apples that…

语言学导论

Displacement (移位性)Displacement:Language enables its user to symbolize objects, events and concepts which are not present in time and place) at the moment of communication. In other words, language can be used to refer to things which are present or not present, real or imagined, matters in the past, present or future or in far-away places. Displacement benefits human beings by giving them the power to handle generalizations and abstractions. Animals’ communication systems are under “immediate stimulus control”, but human language is “stimulus free”.

语言学导论

Functions of LanguageJackobson and his categories Halliday and his categoriesEarly categories Later categories

语言学导论

Jackobson and His Categories6 elements of communication

See (Hu, 2006: 9) Prague Structuralist Jackobson’s categorySpeaker/ addresser 说话者 Addressee 听话者 Context 语境 Message 内容 Code 形式 Contact 接触 EMOTIVE 情感的 CONATIVE 意动的 REFERENTIAL 概念的 POETIC 诗学的 METALINGUAL元语言的 PHATIC 寒暄的

Linguistics and Poetic (1960).

6 functions of language 6 functions of language

语言学导论

Halliday and his categories7 functions (in his early works) ) Instrumental (工具性功能) Regulatory (控制性功能) Representational (表述功能) Personal (个人功能) Interaction (交往功能) Heuristic(启发功能) Imaginative (想象功能) Meta-functions (Halliday: 1994) ) IDEATIONAL: (概念功能) a model of experience and logical relations INTERPERSONAL: (人际功能) enacts social relationship TEXTUAL: (语篇功能) 语篇功能) creates relevance to context

语言学导论

IDEATIONAL

Informative function信息功能 Performative施为功能 Emotive function 情感功能 Phatic communion 寒暄功能 Recreational function 娱乐功能 Metalingual function 元语功能

INTERPERSONAL

语言学导论

Informative functionLanguage serves for the expression of content: that is… (Hu,2006:10) When language is used to give information, it is informative. e.g. Water boils at 100°C.

Interpersonal functionThe most important function of language, by which the status of the people are established and maintained.

e.g. Dear Professor, 小张，John, Yours, YourObedient servant, shouted names and slogans accent and dialect, etc.

语言学导论

Performative function

Primarily used to change the social status of the person, often in quite formal and ritualized language.Now, I announce you husband and wife. I name the ship Queen Elizabeth.

It can also extend to the control of reality as on some magical or religious occasion.Sui sui ping an

语言学导论

Emotive functionMeans of getting rid of the nervous energy when we are under press. Damn (when someone strikes his finger with a hammer.) Hurray ; Hurray!; Wow, what a sight….

Phatic communionSome small, seemingly meaningless expressions to maintain comfortable relationship between people without an

y factual content. God bless you. Good morning. Nice day, isn’t it? 吃了吗? 都挺好的？这是去哪儿啊？

语言学导论

Meta-languageMeta-language: language used for talking about talk or think about thinking. e.g. [a] The lion chased the unicorn all round the town. [b] All around the town lion the lion chased the unicorn.Perspectives about the concern of the sentence are changed because of the change in linear order. [a] answers “what did the lion do”, while [b] answers “where or in what scope did the lion chase the unicorn”. Signs: Na, H2O,Ø, Man [+HUMAN, +MALE, +ADULT]

语言学导论

SummaryWhat have we talked about in this chapter? La LanguageDefinition and understanding Design features Functions Origin Definition and understanding Scope Important distinctions

Linguistics

语言学导论

HomeworkI. write down the Chinese equivalents and definitions of the following terms.design features Arbitrariness Duality Displacement

II. Answer the following questions briefly.What are the design features of language?

III. DiscussionPoint out three major differences between modern linguistics and traditional grammar. (南开大学 2008) Why is Saussure regarded as “Father of modern linguistics”? Any material available to you can be used.

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