Language & Communication Nepali students talk with Forest Foragers - Raute women

Language and Communication What Is Language Nonhuman Communication Nonverbal Communication The Structure of Language Language, Thought, and Culture Sociolinguistics Historical Linguistics

What Is Language

Nonhuman Communication

Nonverbal Communication

The Structure of Language

Language, Thought, and Culture

Sociolinguistics

Historical Linguistics

What Is Language? Transmitted through learning as part of enculturation Based on symbols - arbitrary, learned associations between words and the things they represent Primary means of communication (spoken or written)

Transmitted through learning as part of enculturation

Based on symbols - arbitrary, learned associations between words and the things they represent

Primary means of communication (spoken or written)

What Is Language? Conjure up elaborate images Discuss the past and future Share experiences with others Benefit from their experiences Anthropologists study language in its social and cultural context Allows humans to:

Conjure up elaborate images

Discuss the past and future

Share experiences with others

Benefit from their experiences

Anthropologists study language in its social and cultural context

Allows humans to:

Nonhuman Communication Automatic and cannot be combined At some point in human development, ancestors began to combine calls and to understand the combinations Call Systems – limited number of sounds that are produced in response to specific stimuli

Automatic and cannot be combined

At some point in human development, ancestors began to combine calls and to understand the combinations

Call Systems – limited number of sounds that are produced in response to specific stimuli

Nonhuman > Human Communication Communication came to rely almost totally on learning Call Systems Number of calls expanded, eventually becoming too great to be transmitted even partly through genes

Communication came to rely almost totally on learning

Call Systems

Number of calls expanded, eventually becoming too great to be transmitted even partly through genes

Animal Communication More recent experiments show that apes can learn to use, if not speak, true language Sign Language Washoe, a chimpanzee, eventually acquired vocabulary of over 100 ASL signs

More recent experiments show that apes can learn to use, if not speak, true language

Sign Language

Animal Communication Washoe and Lucy exhibited several human traits Koko, a gorilla, regularly uses 400 ASL signs and has used 700 at least once. Lucy, another chimpanzee, lived in a foster family and used ASL to converse with foster parents

Washoe and Lucy exhibited several human traits

Koko, a gorilla, regularly uses 400 ASL signs and has used 700 at least once.

Lucy, another chimpanzee, lived in a foster family and used ASL to converse with foster parents

Hominoid: Pongids: Orangutans Chantek, an orangutan, has learned more than 150 ASL words

Nonhuman Communication Cultural transmission of a communication system through learning is a fundamental attribute of language Productivity – combined two or more signs to create new expressions Displacement – ability to talk about things that are not present Koko and the chimps show that apes share linguistic ability with humans

Cultural transmission of a communication system through learning is a fundamental attribute of language

Productivity – combined two or more signs to create new expressions

Displacement – ability to talk about things that are not present

Koko and the chimps show that apes share linguistic ability with humans

Nonhuman Communication Experiments with ASL demonstrate that chimps and gorillas have rudimentary capacity for language There are no known instances where chimps or gorillas in the wild have developed a comparable system of signs on their own

Experiments with ASL demonstrate that chimps and gorillas have rudimentary capacity for language

Hominoid: Chimps & Human

Language Contrasted with Call Systems p. 112

The Origin of Language Language developed over hundreds of thousands of years from human ancestors’ call systems Language is effective for learning; enables humans to adapt rapidly to new stimuli Tower of Babel; courtesy Gustave Doré's Illustrated Bible

Language developed over hundreds of thousands of years from human ancestors’ call systems

The Structure of Language Phonology – study of speech sounds Morphology – forms in which sounds combine to form morphemes Lexicon – dictionary containing all its morphemes and their meanings Syntax – arrangement and order of words in phrases and sentences Scientific study of spoken language involves several levels of organization

Phonology – study of speech sounds

Morphology – forms in which sounds combine to form morphemes

Lexicon – dictionary containing all its morphemes and their meanings

Syntax – arrangement and order of words in phrases and sentences

Scientific study of spoken language involves several levels of organization

The Structure of Language Phoneme – sound contrast that makes a difference, that differentiates meaning Phonetics – study of human speech sounds IPA - International Phonetic Alphabet Phonemics – studies only the significant sound contrasts of given language Speech Sounds

Phoneme – sound contrast that makes a difference, that differentiates meaning

Phonetics – study of human speech sounds

IPA - International Phonetic Alphabet

Phonemics – studies only the significant sound contrasts of given language

Speech Sounds

Phonetic Chart of Vowel Positions

KhoeKhoegowab Lesson No:1 The Khoekhoe language

International Phonetic Alphabet The Nama people’s Khoekhoe implosive sounds / - dental ! - alveolar # - palatal // - lateral

The Nama people’s Khoekhoe implosive sounds

/ - dental

! - alveolar

# - palatal

// - lateral

Language, Thought, and Culture The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis – grammatical categories of different languages lead their speakers to think about things in particular ways Noam Chomsky argues human brain contains limited set of rules for organizing language, so all languages have common structural basis

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis – grammatical categories of different languages lead their speakers to think about things in particular ways

Noam Chomsky argues human brain contains limited set of rules for organizing language, so all languages have common structural basis

Hopi Verb Tenses Realis - present & past; things that are real Irrealis - future & conditional - things not accomplished

Realis - present & past; things that are real

Irrealis - future & conditional - things not accomplished

Language, Thought, and Culture Specialized sets of terms and distinctions that are particularly important to certain groups Vocabulary is area of language that changes most rapidly Language, culture, and thought are interrelated Types of olives, terms used in a sport, etc. Focal Vocabulary

Specialized sets of terms and distinctions that are particularly important to certain groups

Vocabulary is area of language that changes most rapidly

Language, culture, and thought are interrelated

Types of olives, terms used in a sport, etc.

Focal Vocabulary

Language, Thought, and Culture Meaning Ethnosemantics – study of how speakers of particular languages use sets of terms to organize, or categorize, their experiences and perceptions The ways people divide up the world – the contrasts they perceive as meaningful or significant – reflect their experiences e.g. Hockey

Meaning

Ethnosemantics – study of how speakers of particular languages use sets of terms to organize, or categorize, their experiences and perceptions

The ways people divide up the world – the contrasts they perceive as meaningful or significant – reflect their experiences

e.g. Hockey

Sociolinguistics Investigates relationships between social and linguistic variation, or language in its social context Sociolinguists focus on features that vary systematically with social position and situation

Investigates relationships between social and linguistic variation, or language in its social context

Sociolinguists focus on features that vary systematically with social position and situation

Linguistic Diversity Diglossia – regular style shifts between “high” and “low” variants of the same language We rank certain speech patterns as better or worse because we recognize they are used by groups that we also rank Politicians speak w/ Southern drawl in the South/Northern accent in the North Style Shifts – varying speech in different contexts

Diglossia – regular style shifts between “high” and “low” variants of the same language

We rank certain speech patterns as better or worse because we recognize they are used by groups that we also rank

Politicians speak w/ Southern drawl in the South/Northern accent in the North

Style Shifts – varying speech in different contexts

Gender Speech Contrasts In North America and Great Britain, women’s speech tends to be more similar to standard dialect than men’s speech Men and women have differences in phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as in the body stances and movements that accompany speech

In North America and Great Britain, women’s speech tends to be more similar to standard dialect than men’s speech

Gender Speech Contrasts Men tend to make reports, reciting information that serves to establish a place for themselves in a hierarchy Women use less powerful words - gosh/god, darn/damn, shoot/shit...

Men tend to make reports, reciting information that serves to establish a place for themselves in a hierarchy

Women use less powerful words - gosh/god, darn/damn, shoot/shit...

Gender & Language Deborah Tannen found women esp. use language and body movements to build rapport, social connections with others Photo; Www.canuuwomenhistory.ca

Deborah Tannen found women esp. use language and body movements to build rapport, social connections with others

Language and Status Position Honorifics – terms used with people to “honor” them Americans tend to be less formal than other nationalities, although they include honorifics British have a more developed set of honorifics Japanese language has several honorifics Kin terms can be associated with gradations in rank and familiarity

Honorifics – terms used with people to “honor” them

Americans tend to be less formal than other nationalities, although they include honorifics

British have a more developed set of honorifics

Japanese language has several honorifics

Kin terms can be associated with gradations in rank and familiarity

Stratification Our speech habits help determine our access to employment and other material resources Use and evaluate speech in context of extralinguistic forces – social, political, and economic

Our speech habits help determine our access to employment and other material resources

Use and evaluate speech in context of extralinguistic forces – social, political, and economic

Sociolinguistics Linguistic forms take on the power of the groups they symbolize Linguistic insecurity often felt by lower-class and minority speakers result of symbolic domination Bourdieu views linguistic practices as symbolic capital that properly trained people may convert into economic and social capital

Linguistic forms take on the power of the groups they symbolize

Linguistic insecurity often felt by lower-class and minority speakers result of symbolic domination

Bourdieu views linguistic practices as symbolic capital that properly trained people may convert into economic and social capital

Pronunciation of ‘r’ in NYC Stores p. 122 William Labov, “What Floor is This?”

When Languages Collide Pidgen - speaking the dominant colonizer’s language Creole - regular grammatical rules that combine 2 languages

Pidgen - speaking the dominant colonizer’s language

Creole - regular grammatical rules that combine 2 languages

French Creoles Louisiana Creole is a combination of French,West African,and the Spanish language Creoles combine grammar of subordinate language with words of dominant language Herb Metoyer. www.herbmetoyer.com

Louisiana Creole is a combination of French,West African,and the Spanish language

Creoles combine grammar of subordinate language with words of dominant language

English Creoles: Gullah, Sea Island Creole from South Carolina Island Region Gullah is a creole form of English, indigenous to the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia Annie Scott weaves a sweetgrass basket Saturday afternoon at the Gullah Flea Market on Hilton Head Island. Photo: J. Dyer

Gullah is a creole form of English, indigenous to the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia

When languages collide... Codeswitching - speaking with regularized rules using 2 languages Dialect - a noticeably different way of speaking a language; mutually intelligible with the standard dialect

Codeswitching - speaking with regularized rules using 2 languages

Dialect - a noticeably different way of speaking a language; mutually intelligible with the standard dialect

Linguists view B.E.V. as a dialect of English rather than a separate language Black English Vernacular (B.E.V.) William Labov writes B.E.V. is “relatively uniform dialect spoken by the majority of black youth in most parts of the U.S. today . . . ”

Linguists view B.E.V. as a dialect of English rather than a separate language

William Labov writes B.E.V. is “relatively uniform dialect spoken by the majority of black youth in most parts of the U.S. today . . . ”

Black English Vernacular (B.E.V.) B.E.V. speakers less likely to pronounce r than Standard English (SE) speakers B.E.V. speakers use copula deletion to eliminate the verb to be from their speech th --> d- Omit possessives “That’s the child’s doll --> “Dat da child’ doll” Use more contractions: Doesn’t --> Don’t “It doesn’t matter --> It don’t matter” Standard English not superior in terms of ability to communicate ideas, but it is the prestige dialect

B.E.V. speakers less likely to pronounce r than Standard English (SE) speakers

B.E.V. speakers use copula deletion to eliminate the verb to be from their speech

th --> d-

Omit possessives “That’s the child’s doll --> “Dat da child’ doll”

Use more contractions: Doesn’t --> Don’t “It doesn’t matter --> It don’t matter”

Standard English not superior in terms of ability to communicate ideas, but it is the prestige dialect

Historical Linguistics Historical linguists reconstruct many features of past languages by studying contemporary daughter languages Written forms vs. reconstruction based on oral languages Long-term variation of speech by studying protolanguages and daughter languages

Historical linguists reconstruct many features of past languages by studying contemporary daughter languages

Written forms vs. reconstruction based on oral languages

Long-term variation of speech by studying protolanguages and daughter languages

Historical Linguistics Daughter Languages – languages that descend from same parent language and that have been changing separately for hundreds or even thousands of years Protolanguage – original language from which daughter languages descend Subgroups – languages within a taxonomy of related languages that are most closely related

Daughter Languages – languages that descend from same parent language and that have been changing separately for hundreds or even thousands of years

Canterbury Tales Woodcut 1484A.D.

Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye, A lymytour, a ful solempne man. In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan so muche of dalianune and fair language. A Friar there was, wanton and merry, A limiter [limited to certain districts], a full solemn [very important] man. In all the order four there in none that knows so much of dalliance [flirting] and fair [engaging] language.

A Frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye, A lymytour, a ful solempne man. In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan so muche of dalianune and fair language.

A Friar there was, wanton and merry, A limiter [limited to certain districts], a full solemn [very important] man. In all the order four there in none that knows so much of dalliance [flirting] and fair [engaging] language.

PIE Family Tree The Indo-European languages. Traceable to a protolanguage, Proto-Indo-European (PIE), *PIE spoken more than 6,000 years ago. *PIE split into separate languages *Identify relations using cognates

The Indo-European languages. Traceable to a protolanguage, Proto-Indo-European (PIE),

*PIE spoken more than 6,000 years ago.

*PIE split into separate languages

*Identify relations using cognates

Indo-Eur. Numerals in IPA* IPA=International phonetic alphabet char kwat^o kat¿ra for 4 ti≥ tres t¿wa ƒri 3 dwi dos d~ ø tu 2 Éï k uno ~ø wøn 1 Nepali Spanish French English

Ethnologue www.ethnologue.com

www.ethnologue.com