Linguistics Ch 1

Front 1

Universals

Back 1

1. Alllanguages consist of small elements. From these small elements all largerunits, words or signs are built. And these in turn are combined to makesentences.
2. All spoken languages have vowelsand consonants.
3. In all languages the users canexpress a negative statement, ask a question and issue an order.
4. All languages have words forBLACK and WHITE or DARK and LIGHT (the concepts, not words).

Front 2

Universals

Back 2

4 properties shared by all languages.

Front 3

Compositionality

Back 3

a word on its own has a particular meaning but it is at the same time composed of combinations of sounds that help distinguish meaning.

Front 4

Recursion

Back 4

Enables ‘discrete infinity’ by embedding phrases within phrases of the same type in a hierarchical structure.

Front 5

Creativity

Back 5

The possibility of using a limited number of symbols or signs words or gestures and a limited number of rules to produce an unlimited number of new, and possibly unique, utterances.

Front 6

Onomatopoeia

Back 6

a word with a definite link between form and meaning.

Front 7

Constructed languages

Back 7

a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised for human/human-like communication, instead of having developed naturally.

Front 8

Computer languages

Back 8

a formal language designed to communicate instructions to a machine.

Front 9

Modalities

Back 9

spoken and sign language. Written language is based on spoken language and is therefore secondary.

Front 10

Sign languages

Back 10

In sign language, the relationship between form and meaning is closer than in spoken languages but on the whole it is arbitrary.