Introduction to Linguistics
Prepared by
Dr P B Thorbole
What is Linguistics?
-Linguistics is the scientific study of
language.
- This statement raises two questions:
1. What do we mean by scientific?
2. What do mean by language?
- Linguistics is a science ; therefore, a linguist is a scientist .
- A linguist studies language in much the same way as a scientist studies physics or chemistry.
- It means that a linguist observes language use , form a hypothesis , test this hypothesis , and refine it.
- This hypothesis may eventually become a theory.
Example:
- A hypothesis:
“ Adjectives always precede nouns in English”
- Example from English to support this hypothesis:
- A good man
-Carrying out a detailed examination of the position of adjectives in English we find out that:
1. Adjectives can be attributive. ( They can occur before a noun)
2. Adjectives can be predicative ( They can occur after a noun following a verb)
3. A few adjectives used in fixed phrases immediately follow the noun they modify.
What is Language?
- Language is a set of signals by which we communicate.
- However, animals have a communication system.
-How do human languages differ from animal communication?
- Human Languages are:
1. Flexible
2. Complex
3. Precise
4. Productive
5. Can be expressed in writing
6. Arbitrary and systematic at the same time
Language and medium
-Language is an abstract system that can be realized as :
1. Speech
2. Writing
-This diagram illustrates the relationship between language and its mediums:
language (abstraction)
mediums (concrete )
speech writing
The Components of Language
1. Sounds – Phonetics and Phonology
2. Words – Morphology
3. Phrases and sentences- Syntax
4. Meaning- Semantics and Pragmatics