Language is hierarchic - we move from sounds to words to phrases to sentences Language is embedded in gesture gestures often accompany the verbal – activity and can be learned (bye-bye) or instinctive (smile). Both can be and are adapted to a culture. Language is both arbitrary and non-arbitrary names of things are – arbitrary; sentence structure is less so. Language is vertical and horizontal vertical paradigmatic (verbs, – – pronouns); horizontal syntagmatic (pulling together words, phrases, – clauses) Language changes to outwit change we can recombine parts to create – new parts that are accepted by the community Languages are similarly structured nouns, verbs, pronouns (more later) – Language is heard as well as spoken W. F. Bolton (1981) has synthesized these and proposed that there are four basic properties of language. (PP #12) Language is productive/creative with a finite number of sounds, language – can meet our expressive needs without limit. Language is arbitrary words for things have no necessary connection – Language has duality words have both sound and meaning (concepts) –
Language is hierarchic - we move from sounds to words to phrases to sentences Language is embedded in gesture – gestures often accompany the verbal activity and can be learned (bye-bye) or instinctive (smile). Both can be and are adapted to a culture. Language is both arbitrary and non-arbitrary – names of things are arbitrary; sentence structure is less so. Language is vertical and horizontal – vertical – paradigmatic (verbs, pronouns); horizontal – syntagmatic (pulling together words, phrases, clauses) Language changes to outwit change – we can recombine parts to create new parts that are accepted by the community Languages are similarly structured – nouns, verbs, pronouns (more later) Language is heard as well as spoken W. F. Bolton (1981) has synthesized these and proposed that there are four basic properties of language. (PP #12) Language is productive/creative – with a finite number of sounds, language can meet our expressive needs without limit. Language is arbitrary – words for things have no necessary connection Language has duality – words have both sound and meaning (concepts)
Winter2016LangCultureClassNotes.docx