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What is a linguist?

What is a linguist?. The Linguists : A Movie. http://thelinguists.com/. Linguistics has many subfields. Phonetics Phonology Syntax Semantics Pragmatics Morphology. Phonetics. The study of minimal sound units of a language Example: beat, bit, bat. Phonology.

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What is a linguist?

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  1. What is a linguist?

  2. The Linguists: A Movie • http://thelinguists.com/

  3. Linguistics has many subfields • Phonetics • Phonology • Syntax • Semantics • Pragmatics • Morphology

  4. Phonetics • The study of minimal sound units of a language • Example: beat, bit, bat

  5. Phonology • The language-specific study of the distribution of speech sounds Example: Ptolemy Pterodactyl Captive Example: thedogisplayinginthebackyard the dog is playing in the back yard

  6. Morphology • Study of word formation (breaking down individual words into smaller parts) Unbelieveability Ungiraffelike Baker vs. *erbake Nicley vs. *bookly

  7. Anytime you see a *it means you’re looking at an example that is ungrammatical

  8. Syntax • Study of how words combine to form phrases and sentences • I will pick the package up at 8 o’clock. • At eight o’clock, I will pick the package up. • *Package up pick at o’clock will the eight I. • *I will picks the package up at eight o’clock.

  9. Semantics • The study of the ability of determine the meaning of sentences • Couch vs. sofa • “duck” • The green duck dawdled around the cactus. • The duck dawdled around the green cactus. • The platypus ducked under the sofa. • !The sofa ducked under the platypus.

  10. Anytime you see a !it means you’re looking at an example that is semantically anomolous

  11. Pragmatics • The study of meaning in context • Can you close the door? • What a beautiful cake! • “Dude, ‘sup?” vs. “Good morning, sir” • Chillaxin’ vs. resting When greeting a professor, it would be pragmatically awkward to use “#Dude, ‘sup?”

  12. Anytime you see a #it means you’re looking at an example that is pragmatically awkward

  13. POP QUIZ A. Syntax B. Semantics C. Phonetics D. Pragmatics E. Phonology F. Morphology • Context • Meaning • Sentences • Words • Distribution of speech sounds • Minimal speech sounds

  14. POP QUIZ • Ungrammatical B. Semantically Anomolous (meaning is weird) C. Pragmatically Awkward (wouldn’t be used in that context) • # • ! • *

  15. What linguists do besides teach? • Document (Endangered) Languages • Work on voice recognition programs • Perfect spell-check/grammar check • Shape language-learning textbooks/software • Search through large quantities of texts looking for new words

  16. While linguistics has many facets, all linguists have one thing in common: lANGUAGE

  17. What is language? Get in groups of 2-3 and write your very best definition of language.

  18. Some stats about language • 6,000 languages spoken in the world • But 90% of the population speaks only 10% of them • Languages are very diverse, yet there are many universal properties of languages • There are some characteristics shares by all languages as well as characteristics that no language has

  19. Competence vs. Performance • Competence = what we know about a language (hidden potential) • Performance = what we produce (observable) • Walking analogy (even when you’re sitting, you have the competence to walk)

  20. What language is NOT • Language is not writing (p. 13) • Archeological evidence • Writing does not exist everywhere • Writing must be taught • Neurolinguistic evidence • Writing can be edited • Language is not prescriptive grammar (p.14)

  21. Prescriptive vs. Descriptive • Prescriptive grammar is the socially embedded notion of the “correct” or “proper” way to use a language • Descriptive grammar describes what happens in a spoken language and, therefore, accepts the patterns a speaker uses without judgment • (see page 16 for double negative example) • (for practice, see page 31, question 12)

  22. Design Features of a Languageby Charles Hockett • Mode of communication • Semanticity • Pragmatic Function • Interchangeability • Cultural Transmission • Arbitrariness • Discreteness • Displacement • Productivity

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