Language as element of Language as element of Human EvolutionHuman Evolution

ToolsTools BipedalismBipedalism Premature birth, and long Premature birth, and long

dependency period of infantsdependency period of infants Language Language

What language isWhat language is

Humans have highly elaborate codes Humans have highly elaborate codes called language, made of words & called language, made of words & rules that combine to make senserules that combine to make sense

Language code could be sounds units, Language code could be sounds units, meaningful units, eg, words or meaningful units, eg, words or phrases etcphrases etc

To decode a message is to react to a To decode a message is to react to a message in ways that reflect the way message in ways that reflect the way the sender intendedthe sender intended

Two approaches to study Two approaches to study languagelanguage

Theoretical Linguistics- concerned with the Theoretical Linguistics- concerned with the form& structure of languageform& structure of language

Linguistic anthropology- seeks to make sense of Linguistic anthropology- seeks to make sense of social and cultural context in which people speaksocial and cultural context in which people speak

o Goes beyond analysis of language structure & Goes beyond analysis of language structure & pattern of language to look at :pattern of language to look at :

o the contexts, and how we use words,the contexts, and how we use words,o How do we use language to control or influence How do we use language to control or influence

others? others? o What accounts for different accents, What accounts for different accents, o does the different words we use affect our does the different words we use affect our

different experiences?different experiences?

uniqueness of human uniqueness of human languagelanguage

Displacement / Human language is open/digital

Duality of patterning ( sound and meaning)

The arbitrariness of language (no necessary relationship between sound & meaning)

Universal grammar (Chomskian theory of universal grammer).

Phonological /phonemic Phonological /phonemic systems systems

Phoneme- each distinct sound Phoneme- each distinct sound humans makehumans make

Phonemic analysis- When native Phonemic analysis- When native speaker works out the different speaker works out the different sounds in words, with different sounds in words, with different meaningsmeanings

Morpheme- smallest unit of Morpheme- smallest unit of word( walk/ walkedword( walk/ walked

Two dimensions of Two dimensions of languagelanguage

Sound and MeaningSound and Meaning Phonetics- All the sounds that humans makePhonetics- All the sounds that humans make

• bit/bitebit/bite• Lit/light/liteLit/light/lite• Hit/height Hit/height

Bit/pit- differences in sound, differences in Bit/pit- differences in sound, differences in meaningmeaning

Minimal pairsMinimal pairs

How to communicateHow to communicate

To communicate, a receiver must To communicate, a receiver must detect the senders’ messagedetect the senders’ message

Examples of sender’s messages: Examples of sender’s messages: fear, hungar or sexual fear, hungar or sexual receptivity( internal state) or receptivity( internal state) or presence of dangerpresence of danger

All messages are placed in codesAll messages are placed in codes

Saussure& SemioticsSaussure& Semiotics

Humans communicate through Humans communicate through symbols: words, gestures or things symbols: words, gestures or things that stand , or point to something elsethat stand , or point to something else

Symbols are vehicles of meanings egSymbols are vehicles of meanings eg

raised hand signifier = Signifies “ We raised hand signifier = Signifies “ We are number one”are number one”

Symbols influence behavior eg. Traffic Symbols influence behavior eg. Traffic signs command us to stop, speed etcsigns command us to stop, speed etc

The arbitrariness of The arbitrariness of languagelanguage

No necessary connection between No necessary connection between symbols and the things they symbolize:symbols and the things they symbolize:

Is a matter of convention or Is a matter of convention or intentionalityintentionality

Is by custom that the rose represents a Is by custom that the rose represents a particular kind of flowerparticular kind of flower

Is by stipulation( not out of necessity) Is by stipulation( not out of necessity) that the + points to their referentsthat the + points to their referents

Language & Language & CommunicationCommunication

Communication- behavior that Communication- behavior that affects behaviors of others by the affects behaviors of others by the transmission of informationtransmission of information

When a machine or organism When a machine or organism communicates, it sends messages communicates, it sends messages about itself or its environmentabout itself or its environment

The result of communication is The result of communication is changechange

Themes that Concern L. Themes that Concern L. AnthropologistsAnthropologists

Language and ethnicity,Language and ethnicity, Education, Education, Nations and NationalismNations and Nationalism GenderGender