LING 100 Lecture 1: LING 1/18-23
Document Summary
An empirical science: linguistics do not tell people how to speak or write using (cid:522)proper grammar(cid:523) Descriptive grammar: each speaker has a set of mental rules that determines what they can and can"t say. Example: i can"t get no satisfaction vs. Descriptive grammar concerns what people actually do with language do. Observation (corpus study): examine text and recorded speech for evidence of language as it"s actually used. Direct inquiry (survey): ask people for judgments or opinions. Linguistics mark ungrammatical sentences with the asterisk symbol (*) Grammaticality is not based on meaning and is not based on whether you have heard the sentence before. Mode of communication: there must be a means by which signals are sent and received. Semanticity: signals must have meaning or function. Pragmatic functions: signals must serve some useful purpose. Cultural transmission: some aspects of language are transmitted through. Interchangeability: individuals must be able to send and receive signals communication interaction.