Chapter one Introduction
涓�銆佸畾涔?/p>
1.
璇█瀛?/p>
Linguistics
Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language.
2.
鏅�氳瑷�瀛?/p>
General Linguistics
The study of language as a whole is often called General linguistics.
3.
璇█
language
Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.
璇█鏄汉绫荤敤鏉ヤ氦闄呯殑浠绘剰鎬х殑鏈夊０绗﹀彿浣撶郴銆?/p>
4.
璇嗗埆鐗瑰緛
Design Features
It refers to the defining properties of human language that distinguish it from any animal system of
communication.
璇█璇嗗埆鐗瑰緛鏄寚浜虹被璇█鍖哄埆涓庡叾浠栦换浣曞姩鐗╃殑浜ら檯浣撶郴鐨勯檺瀹氭�х壒寰併�?/p>
Arbitrariness
浠绘剰鎬?/p>
Productivity
澶氫骇鎬?/p>
Duality
鍙岄噸鎬?/p>
Displacement
绉讳綅鎬?/p>
Cultural transmission
鏂囧寲浼犻�?/p>
The design features mentioned in the course book include arbitrariness, productivity or creativity,
duality, displacement and cultural transmission.
By arbitrariness it is meant that the symbols used in human language are arbitrary, i.e. there is no
logical connection between the symbols and what they stand for.
The feature of productivity means that language is productive or creative, i.e. it is possible for its
users to construct and understand an unlimited number of sentences, including sentences they have
never heard before.
Duality is a feature of the structure of the human language system, which consists of two levels.
At
the
lower
level
there
exist
a
limited
number
of
sounds
which
are
meaningless,
while
at
the
higher
level
these
meaningless
sounds
can be
arranged
and
rearranged
in
various
ways
to
form
meaningful language units, unlimited in number.
The feature of displacement means that language can be used to refer to things which are present
or not present, real or unreal, in the past, present, or future.
Cultural
transmission,
in
contrast
to
genetic
transmission,
refers
to
the
fact
that
human
babies,
though born with the ability to acquire a language, must be taught to use it.
5.
璇█鑳藉姏
Competence
Competence is the ideal user鈥檚 knowledge of the rules of his language.
6.
璇█杩愮敤
performance
Performance is the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication.
璇█杩愮敤鏄墍鎺屾彙鐨勮鍒欏湪璇█浜ら檯涓殑浣撶幇銆?/p>
7.
鍘嗘椂璇█瀛?/p>
Diachronic linguistics