The Features and Importance of Linguistics:
Language is a complex phenomenon with various theories
surrounding it. Present language families derive from many original languages.
a)
The importance of
linguistics:
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Language is superior than
other tools (non verbal human communication)
b) The features of language: ( according to linguist Charles
Hockett)
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Use of sound signals:
More widespread than non-verbal communication.
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Arbitraries: in
human language, there is no link between the signal and the message. The
symbols used are arbitrary.
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The need for learning:
Human language is culturally transmitted. A human brought up in isolation does
not acquire language. There is an innate predisposition towards language in a
new born child. This latent potentiality is activated by long exposure to
language.
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Duality of patterns:
Human language has a stock of sound units (phonemes) between 30-40. Each phoneme is meaningless in isolation and
become meaningful only when it is combined with other phonemes.
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Displacement: Human
language can cope with any subject whatever, and it does not matter how far
away the topic of conversation is in time and space.
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Creativity
(productivity): Humans can produce novel utterances. A person can utter a sentence which has never
been said before.
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Patterning: humans
do not juxtapose sounds and words in a random way. Instead ring the changes on
a few well-defined patterns.
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Structure dependence: The
grammar is structure-dependent in that the rules must refer to the structure of
the language in order to adequately perform some operation.
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