Language and Music: Key Concepts

A system of communication using a set of words with agreed meanings and rules for combining them.

Predefined phrases whose meaning cannot be understood simply by knowing the individual words.

The study of the rhythms and tempos of verbal interaction, how we synchronize our speech in conversation.

Speech acts like mantras that have qualities of both language and music but don't neatly fit either category.

The idea that language is a set of words and rules for combining them, which emphasizes written language and neglects the natural rhythms of conversation.

The study of how humans communicate, including both spoken and written language.

The study of music and its cultural variations.

Concepts like rhythm, melody, and harmony, which are universal in music.

The study of music in different cultures.

The argument that music is simply a byproduct of language, not serving any specific evolutionary purpose.

The idea that music is an adaptive trait, serving biological functions like social bonding or emotional expression.

The ability to understand and produce sounds, which is crucial for both language and music.

The capacity to learn and use symbols to represent meaning, shared by both language and music.

The rules and structures that govern the organization of sounds in language and music.

The function of language and music to convey information, ideas, and emotions.

The understanding that music is influenced by culture and can vary significantly across societies, unlike universal grammar in language.

The act of creating music, often emphasized over simply listening to it in discussions about music's universality.

Music's presence in all human societies, despite the vast diversity of styles.

The ability to recognize and understand patterns of sound, a fundamental human characteristic.

The idea that the capacity for music is deeply connected to our ability to use and understand language.

The wide variety of musical traditions around the world, showcasing unique styles, structures, and historical development.

The argument that music transcends cultural and historical barriers, making it a more universal form of expression than language.

Musical elements like rhythm, melody, and harmony that are found in various musical traditions worldwide, suggesting a universal framework for musical expression.

The appreciation and enjoyment of music from other cultures despite differences in language, context, or traditions.

The involuntary tapping, movement, or other bodily responses triggered by music. It's the natural link between sound and physical reaction.

The idea that language evolved from gestures. It emphasizes the connection between physical expression and verbal communication.

The process of children learning language through active interaction with experienced speakers. It highlights that language acquisition is not passive but a dynamic process.

Children reach a level of language proficiency around age four, able to produce varied expressions and understand grammatical rules.

The idea that musical abilities are innate and develop naturally like language, similar to the development of linguistic abilities.

The observation that people may be fluent in multiple languages but rarely excel in composing music, highlighting a potential disparity between language and music skills.

The shared structural principles between music and language, both built upon basic elements (words/tones and melodies/phrases) combined recursively to create complexity.

The argument that music in traditional societies is acquired naturally through everyday life, contrasting with the controlled learning of music in Western societies.

The idea that Western music's focus on technical performance and listening might be hindering natural musical development, suggesting that prioritizing informal activities like singing and dancing might be more beneficial.

The ability of language to create infinitely long and complex structures by embedding phrases within other phrases.

The idea that language evolved to solve computational problems beyond communication, like navigating or managing social relationships.

The rhythmic interplay between speakers in conversation, affecting how smoothly one speaker transitions to another.

The use of arbitrary symbols, like words, to represent concepts, where the symbol does not physically resemble what it represents.

The capacity to learn and use symbols, shared by both language and music, suggesting a common cognitive foundation.

The meaning of music is often highly individual, connected to personal experiences and memories rather than standardized meanings.

The meaning of music can change depending on the context, such as who is listening and when.

Music is influenced by cultural and historical factors, shaping the meanings we assign to it.

The meaning in a musical piece can often be found in its overall structure or repetitive melodies, unlike language where each word has a specific meaning.

Musical notes may be derived from human speech, suggesting a possible connection between language and music.

The theory that all humans share an innate set of grammatical principles, helping children quickly learn language.

The idea that music, like language, has underlying rules that govern its structure and meaning.

A theory suggesting that our ability to understand music is innate, similar to our innate understanding of language.

The argument that musical rules are different from linguistic rules because they don't significantly alter the meaning of a piece when changed.

The rate at which musical styles change compared to language.