Chapter 1 Invitation to linguistics - 副本.ppt

The definition: Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Linguistics is a branch of science. science Language here : language in particular ? language in common ? that is , linguistics does not take any specific language as a research object,but all the languages as research object Linguistics aims to answer Brain storming: Ingredients of the definition of “language”. Language “is not to be confused with human speech, of which it is only a definite part, though certainly an essential one. It is both a social product of the faculty of speech and a collection of necessary conventions that have been adopted by a social body…”. The institution whereby humans communicate and interact with each other by means of habitually used oral-auditory arbitrary symbols. R.A. Hall The systematic, conventional use of sounds, signs, or written symbols in a human society for communication and self-expression. Brain storming: Ingredients of the definition of “language”. . A. system: Consist of a set of rules which underlie people’s actual speech or writing B. arbitrary: no intrinsic connection between the word and the thing it refers to C. vocal: sound or oral form is primary to written form D. Symbolic---- words are associated with objects, actions, ideas by convention. Greek alphabet , Roman alphabet ( Latin alphabet) , Strokes , … E. human communication: only for human beings, unique user, human-specific Language is Vocal The primary medium for all languages is sound. Writing systems came into being much later than the spoken forms People with little or no literacy can also be competent language users. 美国实用主义和符号学的创始人、著名哲学家皮尔斯①（C．S．Pier。e1839－1914）从能指和所指的关系上，把符号（sign）分成3类：icon，index，Symbol。皮尔斯的三分法认为在能指和所指之间有三种联系方法，即符号的三重指称的观点， 1. Parrot: talking birds Imitate/ reproduce words and phrases of human language, but their utterance