Jezykoznawstwo : Lekcja 2

The big questiopn(s)

1. Is language unique to humans?
2. Is it fundamentally different from animal communication?
3. What is language anyway?

Q1. What is language

Language is a purely human and non-nstinctive method of communicating ideas, emoticons and
desires means of voluntarily produced symbols.
A language is a system of arbitary vocal symbols by means of wchich the members of a society
interract in terms of their total culture.
A langurage is a set (finite or infinite( of sentences, each finite in length and costructed of of finite set
of elements
Lang. Is the institution whereby humans communicate and interact with each other my means of
habitually used oral-audiory abritary ssmbols

Charles F. Hockett (1916- 2000)
- Amercina linguist
#photo of C.F Hockett#
|
*Hocketts proposal
- Design features characterize language, distiinguish it from other communication systems

Design features of communication:
- Arbitrariness,
-Cultural transmission, -Discretness,- Displacemenet,- Duality, -Learnability,- Prevarication, ----
Productivity,- Reflexivness,

^Arbitrariness
- there is no natural connection between a linguistic form and its meaning;
(ex. Of words: cuckoo, crash, slurp, squelch or whirr)
>Animal communication
- baring teeth
>Vervet monkeys
- District arbitrary calls for [..]
^Arbitrariness as a contiunuum phenomenon
Arbitrary onomatopei &iconic
Cat cock-adoodle-doo
Kukuriku &tree(ASL)
Quiquiriqui
*ASL- Amercian Sign Lnaguage


^Cultural Transmission
- langueage is passed on from one generation to the next;
- at least some aspect of a communication system is learned from other users;
- a Camobdian child with and American parent will learn English, not Khmer;

Animal communication
- finches: can learn to make some calls if raised in isolation; but dont learn full system;
^Discretenss
- language is composed of indivdual sounds and each of these sounds is meaningless by themselves;
(ex.)>> act; [dictionary symbols]
- Doesnt seem to be found in most animal communication systems
_But bee dances (the waggle dance, a.k.a the sickle dance)
_pattern, direction can be combined for different meanings

^Displacement
-it allows usres to talk about things and events not present in the immediate environment;

Animal communication:
-roundd dance: relatively close
-sickle dance: intermediate distance
-tail-wagging dance: relatively far

^Duality
- human language organized of two levels simultaneously
Animal communication
woof

^Productivity
- the potential numer of utterances is any human language is infinite;
Animal communication
- fixed reference (e.g., vervet monkeys)
Chutter Rraup

^LEARNABILITY
*Language is teachable and learnable;
*The ability to lie or deceive. When using language, humans can make false or meaningless
statements;

^Prevarication
-the ability to lie or deceive. When using language, humans can make false or meaningless
statements

^Reflexiveness
- humans can use language to talk about language;

^Chimpanzees and language
- 20th century hypothesis: Maybe chimps( and other primates) dont use human language
because of lack of oppurtunities
- Chimp vocals tracts are not suited to speech, but sign language is okay;
(:: -Gua ; Viki ::)
- Sarah and Lana (Ann and David Premack; Duane Rumbaugh)
- Washoe (Beatrix and Allen Gardner)
-airplane, baby, banana, window, woman, you etc.
-more fruit, open food drink, gimmie tickle, etc.

SUMMARY
- human language seems to be qualitateveli different from animal communication systems;
- human vocal tract even seems designed for speech;