Historical linguistics

In this essay I will explore structuralism and evaluate the usefulness of the theory. I will look at examples of Structuralism in ethnography, such as observable binary oppositions and interpretations of the importance of myth, also exploring criticisms of the theory. I will explore the claim that Structuralism is too theory-based and cannot account for the experience of the individual, and whether this means that Structuralism can be relied on to inform us about human life from an…

characteristics of the eleventh century. Damico argues, “The Beowulf-poet imaginatively reconfigured contemporary events and political figures into his fictionalized North Germanic imperial world, creating a type of historical allegory” (Damico 1). This is an interplay between historical reality and the poem’s imaginative present where the two were constructed into having two meanings. This shows that the scriber used events that were happening in the current time to influence his editing in…

Since the locus of structure is primary in Foucault’s notion of power, CDA accords this perspective in terms of its analysis characteristics which take into account not only the linguistic features of the text but also consider how social structure determine the production of text as a social practice (Wodak and Meyer,…

leads to great appreciation and this is a prime example of why dying languages should be saved. Not only does language connect communities and preserve culture, it contains an immense amount of valuable knowledge. According to UC Santa Cruz linguistics professor, Judith Aissen, “Language contains a vast array of knowledge” (Rappaport). She adds that…

Firstly, text and discourse are two key terms in linguistics. From a linguistic perspective, the earlier is used to “refer to any written or taped record of a certain piece of communication”. The former is used to “refer to the piece of communication in context”. (Nunan, 1993, P. 20) In addition, discourse in linguistics, is a unit of language larger than a single sentence. More broadly, discourse is known as the use of spoken or written language in a social context. Furthermore, discourses need…

Deaf community by making assess to education, communication, and work more feasible then in the past. The age of technology, like the Internet and smart phones, has impacted this community in many positive ways. This has all played into the ASL linguistic variations seen presently in the U.S. We must also understand that ASL like any other language is a dynamic system that is constantly in a state of change. With this in understanding, the study of the impact of sign variation on…

language was the "Celtic". The name " Avon " and "Ouse" which mean "water" are two example from that period of time. After that a wide range of vocabulary started to be used from the Germanic origin. Latin was also an important source of English. Many historical linguists divided the Germanic language into three groups; the west, the north, and the east. All Anglo-Saxon invaders relatively belonged to the west Germanic. So that, it can be seen the similarities between English, Germany, and…

The French philosopher Michel Foucault studied not language, but discourse as a system of representation. Normally the term 'discourse' is used as a linguistic concept. The term Foucauldian discourse analysis (FDA) is associated with the work of researchers such as Ian Parker, Erica Burman and Wendy Hallway. The term is widely known as Foucauldian discourse analysis or the analysis of discourse because it is related with Foucault’s writings. It has come from many theoretical sources. FDA can be…

means of constructing and maintaining that society. As a phenomenon of society, language reflects all the perspectives of human society. Sexism in language has been a controversial topic in sociolinguists since its inception. In this chapter, a historical overview will be made and definitions will be provided. Sexism in language exists when language devalues members of a certain gender. Sexist language has many definitions but for the sake of this essay the following definition will be used: ‘[a…

what Fellows and Oakley (2014, pp. 54-56) call the pre-linguistic stage. The pre-linguistic stage begins from birth and lasts to when a child is around one year of age. It is important however, to consider both nature and nurture when designing learning environments to cater to cognitive and language development as environmental factors influence growth along with biological maturation (Fellows & Oakley, 2014, p. 46). A child in the pre-linguistic phase will by making vocal speech type noises…