大三语言学基础Week-III：Basic-Knowledge-of-L-(Properties).ppt

* 语言学 Linguistics Week III Basic Knowledge of Language Properties of Language Relationship Between Thought and Language Thought is ‘speech minus sound’ (L. S. Vygotsky) Thinking is not merely dependent on language in general but, up to a certain degree, on each specific language. (Wilhelm von Humboldt) The structure of language determines the structure of habitual thought in a society (Whorf) Language has some kind of a limited role in shaping cognition. (Kecskes) Question: Is language arbitrary or non-arbitrary? arbitrary no necessary and natural connection between linguistic signs and the meaning thereof: the naming of things is rather accidental. 1) Is language arbitrary? If not, how do you account for the great profusion of languages and linguistic variants we have in the world? And, how do you account for the free coinage of new words for new things? 2) If language is arbitrary, how do you account for the criticism, say, the gossip from an old-fashioned English lady in some novels, “Oh, how can he say that? It’s indecent!”, or, “I can understand not a single sentence he says. His English is really terrible.” 3) If language is partially arbitrary, then, to what extent it is arbitrary? And, on what level it is arbitrary? Are there any norms for the arbitrariness of language? Word, sound morphemes Morpheme: the smallest meaningful element of language that, as a basic phonological and semantic element cannot be reduced into smaller elements. book, three, booksellers (four morphemes in this word: book, sell, -er, -s), etc. Question: Is there any natural connection between the sound of a morpheme and its meaning? e.g. Chinese: 水；Japanese:みず English: water onomatopoeia e.g. J: からからと C: 咯咯咯 E: giggle e.g. C: 吱呀；吱嘎 E: creak J: ぎいぎい e.g. C: 沙沙 E: rustle J: さっさつ/かさかさ ははは ははは e.g. J:ははは C: 哈哈哈 E: ha-ha-ha Non-arbitrary arbitrary Conclusion: It seems that arbitrariness of language at the level of t