Language

Language

Bloch & Trager’s definition
1. “A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group cooperates.”
Noah Chomsky’s Definition
1. “From now on I will consider a language to be a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements.”
Derbyshire’s Definition
1. “Language is undoubtedly a kind of means of communication among human beings. It consists primarily of vocal sounds. It is articulatory, systematic, symbolic and arbitrary.”
Aristotle’s Definition
1. “Language is a speech sound produced by human beings to express their ideas, emotions, thoughts, desires and feelings.”
Origins (Theories)
1. Humanistic theory
  1. Argues that humans had a active and agentive role on the creation of language, purposefully developing language over time through rationalization in order to fulfill the psychological and social need to communicate.
2. Natural Sound Source
  1. Argues that early language was created by ancient humans imitating the sounds of their surroundings.
3. Social Interaction Source
  1. Argues that language started as social grunts and groans with the purpose of coordinating as a group.
4. Physical Adaptation Source
  1. Argues that language is the natural result of humans evolving adaptations that enable it to occur.
5. Genetic Source / Chomsky's single step theory
  1. Argues that the ability to produce and comprehend human language is because we are genetically encoded with a universal grammar that helps us learn effortlessly at a young age.
6. Divine Source
  1. Argues that language was created and given to us by a higher power.
7. Tool Making Source
  1. Argues that learning to use and make tools indirectly helped us develop language, due to the lateralization of the human brain.
Types of communication systems
1. Natural (Human)
  1. Design Features
    1. Interchangeability
      1. Every human is able to hear, comprehend and speak it.
    2. Feedback
      1. Speakers are capable of understanding what they are emitting.
    3. Learnability
      1. Any human is capable is learning any variation of the language.
    4. Semanticity
      1. Meaning is constructed through links between signifiers, referents and meanings.
    5. Specialization
      1. Language’s only purpose is to communicate.
    6. Displacement
      1. The expression of ideas is not limited by space nor time.
    7. Productivity
      1. The number of unique messages that can be produced is infinite.
    8. Prevarication
      1. The communicator is capable of forming messages that lack sense, logic or truth.
    9. Tradition
      1. The system of communication must be learnt from an experienced user.
    10. Discreteness
      1. The units that form a language are consistent and identifiable.
    11. Arbitrariness
      1. Inherent connections between words and their meanings are mostly absent
    12. Duality of patterning
      1. Smaller units that possess no meaning can form meaning by combining into signs, while signs can recombine and fuse to create new meaning.
    13. Reflexiveness
      1. The users of the communication system are aware of it’s existence and therefore are able to analyze it.
  2. Used by humans and created naturally through centuries of uncontrolled development.
2. Artificial
  1. Purposefully created. No capacity to evolve or change without outside input.
3. Non-human
  1. Not used by humans and possesses different properties that vary by species.
Mario Marquez Metropolitan University Linguistics 1
1. References
  1. Courleander V. (n/d) Lingüística l: FPTLI02 Universidad Metropolitana Retrieved from: https://new.edmodo.com/groups/2122-1-linguistica-1-37996917/folders Hakim A. (2018, June 25) Definition of Language by Different Scholars and Linguists English Finders Retrieved from: https://englishfinders.com/definition-of-language-by-scholars/#Aristotle Joy R. (2019, June 14) Born This Way: Chomsky’s Theory Explains Why We’re So Good at Acquiring Language Healthline Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/chomsky-theory#linguists-debate O’Grady, W., J. Archibald, M. Aronoff and J. Rees-Miller (2005) Contemporary Linguistics (chapter 17) (5th edition) Bedford/St. Martin’s Press Owlapps editors (n/d) Theory of Language Retrieved from: http://www.owlapps.net/owlapps_apps/articles?id=62779851&lang=en Yule, G. (2006). The study of language. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

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	Created by Mario Marquez about 3 years ago