ANTH 2301 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Proxemics, Determinism, Phonology
17 Dec 2020
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Document Summary
Linguistic determinism: idea that a language locks a speaker into one particular view of the world. Language is an essential aspect of culture. It is essential for interacting and understanding. It is essential for passing down oral and written histories, another contributing factor to culture. This chapter examines the unique qualities of human language. Language is a symbolic system of communication expressing meaning through voice, gestures, and writing. There is a reciprocal relationship between language and culture. Semantics: the study of how words and phrases are put together in meaningful ways. Syntax: the study of how units of speech are put together to create sentences. Pragmatics: the context within which language occurs (i. e. contextual meaning) Semantics and syntax are grammar that affects meaning. Non-human primate communication is largely based on signals that are hard to fake, while words are symbolic, representing something in a non-physical and arbitrary way. Trust must be present in communication based on words.
