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# Structural features of language "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokooniosis", said to be the longest word in the English language, which describes an occupational disease of miners. ## 6.1 How language is used to create internal understandings of external reality? * **Structural features of...

# Structural features of language "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokooniosis", said to be the longest word in the English language, which describes an occupational disease of miners. ## 6.1 How language is used to create internal understandings of external reality? * **Structural features of language:** * The meaning triangle helps understand how we know reality and communicate its meaning. However, showing systems for a single referent, symbol, and meaning isn't sufficient to represent a complete language. Additional structural aspects are needed. These include: * **Vocabulary:** a long list of symbol referents for the physical and social world. These are the building blocks for messages. * **Syntax:** deals with the arrangement of words in a sentence. It is crucial for complex thought and communication. For example, English "I saw your brother yesterday" vs. French "Ton frère, je l'ai vu hier" (Your brother, I saw him yesterday). In some languages (e.g., Russian), word order is less rigid than in English. * **Grammar:** implies meanings through different variants of symbols (tenses, verb forms); grammatically conventionalized sequences of symbols imply meanings that are not explicitly stated in the individual words. * **Redundancy:** is necessary for communication. * **Vocabulary:** Every language has an extensive vocabulary, a long list of words representing things and concepts in the physical and social world. These words create language units. * **Grammar:** Adds to the vocabulary by allowing the addition of meanings. Different variations of symbols are used for example (tenses, verb forms). * **Syntax:** the order of words affects the meaning. Word order can vary significantly between languages. For example, in Russian, word order is less rigid.