An Introduction to

LINGUISTICS
Main topics:

The role and position of THEORETICAL
LINGUISTICS in the mainstream linguistic research

Sub-areas of THEORETICAL LINGUISTICS

Main methods and approaches in the linguistic
research
Language levels and language units
Preliminary points:

1.What is Linguistics?
What is it concerned with?
What are its main methods of investigation?
2. What is language? How are natural languages
structured? What functions do they serve?
3. What is the relationship between language and
culture?



LINGUISTICS
Theoretical
linguistics
Applied
linguistics
Empirical
linguistics
1

What is linguistics?
... a science concerned with the study of
human, natural language.

What is language?
... a system of linguistic signs.
... a collection of units/items which
combine in order to create larger
meaningful units.


By and large, natural languages can be
investigated from two perspectives:

C

A B

D
(cf. Saussure 1916)

=
SYNCHRONY vs. DIACHRONY
language-state language evolution

synchronic linguistics diachronic linguistics


(cf. Saussure, 1916)




MACROLINGUISTICS
MACROLINGUISTICS

Sociolinguistics
Psycholinguistics
Neuro-psycholinguistics
Ethnolinguistics
Linguistic anthropology
Computational linguistics
Philosophy of language

etc.

Is linguistics the only science investigating language?
Theoretical
linguistics
phonetics
lexicology
semantics

morphology
syntax
stylistics
pragmatics
MICROLINGUISTICS


What is linguistics?


... a science concerned with the study of
human, natural language.



Language


non-human human

natural artificial
(e.g. Esperanto,
Volapk, the sign
language, codes,
etc.)


What is theoretical linguistics?

... a branch of linguistics which focuses
on the laws, principles, and mechanisms
underlying natural languages, in general.
2
3
Research methodology

non-specific: observation, inductive
methods, experiments, etc.

specific: the comparative method, the
immediate constituent analysis, linguistic
reconstruction, etc.

Language levels
vocabulary
syntax
morphology
phono-
logy
Language units
Phonology
segmental & suprasegmental units (e.g.
phonemes)
Morphology
morphemes, words
Syntax
words, phrases (syntagmata), clauses &
sentences
Vocabulary
words, affixes


Language functions
Leechs (1974) representation of the language functions
What is the relationship between
LANGUAGE and CULTURE?

c u l t u r e

objective subjective
LINGUISTIC LAWS: A BIRDS EYE VIEW

Diversification vs. Unification

Growth vs. Economy

Concrete to Abstract

Lexical to Grammatical






???