Defining Features Of Language PDF

**Defining features of Language** 1. **Arbitrariness: The relationship between the sounds (or signs) of a language and their meanings is arbitrary**. There\'s often **no inherent connection between the form of a word** and the **concept it represents**. For example, the word \"dog\" do...

**Defining features of Language** 1. **Arbitrariness: The relationship between the sounds (or signs) of a language and their meanings is arbitrary**. There\'s often **no inherent connection between the form of a word** and the **concept it represents**. For example, the word \"dog\" does not inherently resemble the animal it signifies. **Pictograph and Onomatopoeia** are **a rarity in language**. 2. **Discreteness :** Language is **composed of discrete units**, such **as phonemes, morphemes, and words**, which **can be combined in various ways to create meaning**. This property allows for the infinite generative capacity of human language. 3. **Productivity (Generativity): Humans can generate and understand an infinite number of novel utterance**s. This creativity is essential f**or expressing new ideas and adapting to changing circumstances**. 4. **Cultural Transmission :** L**anguage is learned and transmitted through social and cultural interactions.** **Children acquire language** by exposure **to the linguistic environment around them**, and languages can **change over time through cultural transmission.** 5. **Duality of Patterning : Language has a hierarchical structure where smaller, meaningless elements** (such **as sounds or letters**) combine **to form larger, meaningful units** (such as **words or sentences**). **This duality of patterning allows for the creation of complex messages**. 6. **Displacement :** Language **allows individuals to talk about things that are not present in the immediate context, including the past, future, or hypothetical situations**. This ability to **discuss abstract concepts** is known **as displacement.** 7. **Cognitive Processing : Language involves complex cognitive processes, including memory, attention, and problem solving. The brain\'s linguistic capacities are interconnected with other cognitive functions.** 8. **Openness :** Languages **are dynamic and constantly evolving**. New **words are coined, and the meanings of existing words can change over time**. This openness **allows languages to adapt to new concepts and technologies**. 9. **Reflexivity (Metalinguistic Awareness):** Language **allows speakers to reflect on language itself, discussing and manipulating linguistic structures**. This **metalinguistic awareness is fundamental for learning and teaching language**. II. **Language Functions** 1. **Language Functions :** language **serves a variety of functions that facilitate communication and enable individuals to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings**. The functions of language are often categorized into several broad categories. 2. **Expressive Function: Language allows individuals to express their emotions, feelings, and attitudes**. Through **words, intonation**, and other linguistic features, **people can convey joy, sadness, excitement, anger**, and more. 3. **Referential Function:** This **function is about conveying information and referring to the world**. Language **is a tool for describing objects, events, concepts, and relationships**. It is a means of representing and sharing knowledge about the external world. 4. **Conative Function:** The focus of **this function is on influencing or directing the behavior of the listener or reader**. Commands, **requests, suggestions, and other forms of language** are used to **elicit a specific response or action**. 5. **Phatic Function:** This function **is concerned with social interaction and maintaining communication for its own sake**. Phatic expressions **are often used to establish or maintain social relationships rather than to convey specific information**. Greetings, small talk, and expressions of politeness are examples. 6. **Metalinguistic Function**: Language **has the ability to talk about language itself**. This function **is essential for clarifying meanings, discussing language rules, and explaining linguistic concepts**. 7. **Poetic Function:** This **function focuses on the aesthetic and creative aspects of language**. It includes the **use of language for artistic expression, literary purposes, and the creation of imaginative and evocative effects**. 8. **Cognitive Function:** Language **is a tool for organizing and structuring thought**. It enables **individuals to categorize, analyze, and reason about the world**, contributing to **cognitive development**. 9. **Interrogative function:** This function **enables individuals to seek information, clarification, or confirmation from others**. 10. **performative function:** as introduced by linguistic philosopher J.L. Austin and later developed by J.R. Searle , **is related to the idea that language can not only describe actions but can also perform actions**. In other words, certain utterances are not just about conveying information but actually bring about a change in the external world. **Performative utterances are often associated with speech acts, where speaking itself is an action**. **Task: Search for Michael Halliday's functions of Language.** III. **The Origin of Language** is a complex and debated topic among scholars, and there isn\'t a universally accepted theory. Several theories attempt to explain how and why human language emerged. 1. **The divine source:** The theory posits that **language was a divine or supernatural gift to humans, bestowed upon them by a higher power**. According to this theory**, the origins of language are not a product of natural evolution or cultural development but rather a divine intervention**. 2. **The Bow Wow Theory** : It suggests **that human language originated from imitations of natural sounds in the environment**. According to this theory, **early humans may have imitated the sounds of animals, birds, and natural elements, eventually associating these imitations with specific meaning**s. The name \"**bow wow\"** **reflects the idea that early language might have emerged from attempts to mimic the sounds of dogs, birds, or other environmental noises**. While **this theory captures the basic concept of onomatopoeia (words imitating sounds**), it is considered **overly simplistic and is not widely accepted among modern linguists**. 3. **The evolutionary theory : it suggests that our ability to speak developed gradually over time as our early ancestors faced the challenges of living together** It is thought that genetic changes in the brain, especially in areas related to language, played a significant role**. Language likely emerged as a tool for better communication, helping with activities like hunting, childcare, and protection. As our cognitive abilities, like memory and attention, evolved, so did our capacity for language**. Overall, **the theory proposes that language developed slowly as an adaptive advantage, enhancing our ability to work together and survive.**