LINGUIST 1Z03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Neurotypical, Grammaticality, Vocal Tract
Document Summary
Includes spoken languages, signed languages and written forms. Conglangs (constructed languages) - will not be discussed. We can take parts of words and combine them. We know what not to combine, and how to modify words. The order words come in (e. g subject - verb - object) Semantics - the meaning of words, the meaning of sentences. Linguists do not judge the way people talk. Descriptive grammar - describes how people really speak, without judging or telling people how they should speak. Prescriptive grammar - tells people how to speak, or how not to speak. Linguists talk about language varieties ( different ways of speaking, or dialects) Some varieties may have more prestige than others. Speaking the standard variety of a language can be an advantage at school, when looking for a job. Not speaking the standard may result in discrimination. These rules are not prescriptive rules, rather rules learned in early childhood.