Introduction I

Question 1

What is linguistics, what do linguists do
What do you think we’ll talk about here

Answer 1

shape world
Study worlds
Language develops - acquisition, changes over time
Families = how languages related
How we create sound - phonetics
Historically also

Question 2

why study a language = gen

Answer 2

Diff languages don’t shape thoughts differently = lot of it is mainly cultural
Primary way of communication
Indirect way to study brain - we use grammar —> why
Window into brain

Question 3

why study a language = specific

Answer 3

• central to almost every aspect of human life
• uniquely human
• every neurotypical individual knows how to speak at least 1 language (unless never seen language before age 7)
• understanding what we know when we know a language = window into human mind

Question 4

Define linguistics

Answer 4

Scientific study of human language

Question 5

prescriptive grammar

Answer 5

What people should say = no notion of this in linguistics - if native speaker says it = it’s correct
Grammatical vs non grammatical = diff (if non grammatical = means not a native speaker)

Question 6

Descriptive grammar

Answer 6

what people do say
Describes

Question 7

what question does linguistics ask

Answer 7

Not About descriptive or prescriptive grammar
What do we know when we know a language - constitutes mentally

Question 8

how do languages work = gen

Answer 8

Thoughts —> language —> hear —> reconstruct meaning

Question 9

what is language = 3 aspects

Answer 9

Language = more than communication - uniquely human
Language = systematic - displays pattern systematicity at multiple levels (sounds, smaller chunks, words sentences)
Language = creative

Question 10

describe how language is creative

Answer 10

Permits expression of infinite meaning with finite means (words and sounds) -unique property of human language
Demonstrates minds creative capacity
Can understand utterances we have never heard
Knowing a languages does not = knowing a list - theory = heard enough sentences to know list but no true bc can understand never heard sentences, know each word and know English so can understand

Question 11

infinite use of finite means

Answer 11

Recursivity = embedding
Can embed things forever = unique to human language
Only limit is working memory

Question 12

what do we know when we know a language

Answer 12

Ex = word nice,
1=pronunciation
2=meaning
3=category
4=other forms (nicer, Nicely)

Question 13

what are we taught when we know a language

Answer 13

Spelling, history
For some speakers = can be adverb (she writes nice)
= is it wrong, sounds fine, but incorrect but doesn’t mean its not English

Question 14

Define Phonetics

Answer 14

Study of speech sounds

Question 15

Define Phonetics = what is studied

Answer 15

How sounds produced and perceived= physiology and acoustics - vocal apparatus and acoustics
Which constitute speech and which do not = [a] [m] [!] vs whistle, cluck, clap
Which ones in your language and which not = [x] and [y] are sounds of German but not English

Question 16

Define phonology

Answer 16

Function and patterning of speech sounds

Question 17

Define phonology= what is studied

Answer 17

Which combos allowed vs not = spiff vs fpisf (sounds can’t be put together like this)
Which positions combos permitted = pterodactyl vs captain (pt is not a fine initial sequence, Greek—>latin)
Why some patterns show up again and again = imbalance/imperfect vs intransigent and insolent

Question 18

Define morphology

Answer 18

Structure of words

Question 19

Define morphology = what is studied

Answer 19

Where one word ends and next begins = evenwithoutanyspaces
How words are constructed of component parts - Imbalance, imperfect,
What order certain combos must follow - financially not financlyial
What smaller units of meaning are and how they are organized

Question 20

Define syntax

Answer 20

structure fo sentences

Question 21

Define syntax = what is studied

Answer 21

How words combine to make sentences - john saw tim doesn’t mean tim saw john - can’t change word order
How to understand sentences we have never heard - infinity issue again
Whether or not a sentence is well formed
Separate syntax from semantics - colourless green ideas sleep furiously- good vs furiously sleep ideas green colourless - not good
Jabberwocky by Lewis carol - Alice in wonderland - linguists care about this = what it means

Question 22

semantics and pragmatics = define

Answer 22

Meaning and use

Question 23

semantics and pragmatics = what is studied

Answer 23

Model to predict language
If words have same meaning - sofa = couch
If meanings ambiguous = duck, bank, saw
How the context of an utterance can alter meaning = can you pass the salt (yes physically do it, or could be mean and just say yes and not do it)

Question 24

describe generative grammar

Answer 24

Formal linguistics
At some level - all languages ar the same
Basic mechanism that we use to create language is shared - surface variation can be explained by diff things - syntax, phonetics, etc
Ex= air changes, not gravity, other things produce variation