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CULTURE BASICS Language

CULTURE BASICS Language. AP HG SRMHS Mr. Hensley. Communication versus Language. Communication is the transmission of signals Language is a subset of communication Language is made up of rules that we use to combine words into for an unlimited variety of meanings.

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CULTURE BASICS Language

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  1. CULTURE BASICSLanguage AP HG SRMHS Mr. Hensley

  2. Communication versus Language • Communication is the transmission of signals • Language is a subset of communication • Language is made up of rules that we use to combine words into for an unlimited variety of meanings

  3. Language Has Grammar • Grammar is the set of rules we use to turn (to transform) a deep structure into a surface structure • Deep structure = our thoughts and desires • Surface structure = our words (written or spoken)

  4. Same Deep, Different surface • “I want an apple” • “I’d like an apple, please” • “Give me an apple!” • “May I have an apple?” • “I am really jonesing for some red delicious!” • “APPLE, NOW!”

  5. Same Surface, Different Deep • “Don’t threaten anyone with a chainsaw” • Does this mean.. Some crazy person has a chainsaw, don’t bother them! • Or does it mean, when you’re operating a chainsaw, don’t use it to threaten people?

  6. Punctuation Matters • “We are ready to eat Grandma” or “We’re ready to eat, Grandma.” • “Woman without her man is nothing” or “Woman. Without her, man is nothing” • Same surface but different deep meaning because of punctuation

  7. Morphemes versus Phonemes • Morphemes are units of meaning • Phonemes are units of sound • Syllables are phonemes • Words are morphemes • Student is a morpheme made up of two phonemes, “Stu” and “dent”

  8. Children and Language • Children acquire language in stages, based on brain development • Children use language creatively to make new word combinations • Deaf children, if not exposed to sign language, will invent their own • Chomsky: children are born with the ability for language

  9. Animals and Language • Various great apes have been taught ASL (American Sign Language) • They are not creative and rarely form new words • They use language to ask but rarely to describe • Bonobos are the best primates with language (also the closest to humans genetically)

  10. The Evolutionary Mystery of Language • We have a lot of language abilities • Other animals don’t • Why aren’t there some animals with some small amount of language ability? • Maybe it’s “all in” – like the porcupine • A LOT is good, a little is no help at all

  11. Language Terms • Dialects are a variety (subset) of a language unique to cultural subgroups • Pidgins are simplified variants of a language employed by non-native speakers - they can evolve into creoles (difference?) • Slang – informal language

  12. Official Languages • A lingua franca is an established language used by a multicultural people with many different languages • When a government selects a lingua franca by decree, it becomes an official language • Latin was a lingua franca, now English often is

  13. Language and Territoriality • Cultural heritage is rooted in language • Conquerors often ban or destroy the conquered people’s language • Language hot spots: French in Canada, Basque in Spain, Spanish in USA, Cornish and Welsh in UK

  14. Language and Territory: Toponyms • A toponym is a place name – they are usually descriptive (Falls of Neuse) or commemorative (Raleigh) • They can be imposed by a new group taking over – Manna-hatta becomes New Amsterdam which is now New York • Toponymy is history

  15. American Dialects • Originate from the English dialects spoken by the original settlers • Northern: drop the “r’s” • Midlands: standard American (source of most Western settlers) • Southern: add extra syllables (half = “hay-af”) • Isogloss is the boundary line between dialects

  16. Evolution of English • England is “Angle-land” from Anglo-Saxon invasion 500 AD • Norman invasion (France) occurs in 1066 • Now nobles speak French (influenced by Latin), common folk speak Saxon and a blending occurs

  17. Language Families • Austronesian: includes Polynesian (5%) • Dravidian: southern India (4%) • Altaic: Mongolian, Turkish (3%) • Niger-Congo: Bantu in Africa (3%) • Basque, Japanese – not so sure… • Indo-European: includes the Romance languages, English, Russian, German and Hindi (56%) • Sino-Tibetan: includes Mandarin (26%) • Afro-Asiatic: includes Arabic (6%)

  18. Indo-European • Indo-Iranian branch: Persian and Hindi • Germanic branch (includes Old English) • Romance languages: all influenced by Latin • Baltic and Slavic branches: Russian • Hard to fit: Finnish and Hungarian “PIE” = “Proto Indo European” – the root language of ALL Indo-European languages

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