One subfield of linguistics is the study of language structure, or grammar. This focuses on the system of rules followed by the users of a language. It includes the study of morphology (the formation and composition of words), syntax (the formation and composition of phrases and sentences from these words), and phonology (sound systems). Phonetics is a related branch of linguistics concerned with the actual properties of speech sounds and nonspeech sounds, and how they are produced and perceived.
The study of language meaning is concerned with how languages employ logical structures and real-world references to convey, process, and assign meaning, as well as to manage and resolve ambiguity. This category includes the study of semantics (how meaning is inferred from words and concepts) and pragmatics (how meaning is inferred from context).
Linguistics also looks at the broader context in which language is influenced by social, cultural, historical and political factors. This includes the study of evolutionary linguistics, which investigates into questions related to the origins and growth of languages; historical linguistics, which explores language change; sociolinguistics, which looks at the relation between linguistic variation and social structures;psycholinguistics, which explores the representation and function of language in the mind; neurolinguistics, which looks at language processing in the brain; language acquisition, on how children or adults acquire language; and discourse analysis, which involves the structure of texts and conversations.
Although linguistics is the scientific study of language, a number of other intellectual disciplines are relevant to language and intersect with it.Semiotics, for example, is the general study of signs and symbols both within language and without. Literary theorists study the use of language in literature. Linguistics additionally draws on and informs work from such diverse fields as acoustics, anthropology, biology,computer science, human anatomy, informatics, neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and speech-language pathology.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
According to Dictionary.com, the definition of frenemy is a person that is friendly towards another because the relationship brings benefits but harbors feelings of resentment. The novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor, a family is struggling with financial issues in the south in 1933. T.J Avery and Stacey Logan are both boys who are twelve and thirteen years old in the book. They have similarities and differences in the categories of honesty, personality and financial issues. Each category shows how they are alike, but yet at the same time different. One of the categories where they are completely different is honesty.…
- 1080 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Social psychological perspectives emphasise the importance of investigating cognition by studying how meaning is created through participation and cultural practices and through language. The evolvement, acquisition and application of language used by humans, to express meaning and pursue goals, have been a topic of study amongst the various perspectives in psychology most notably evolutionary, cognitive and social perspectives. In researching language and the development of subsequent theories, language itself is used as a medium to investigate language. This methodological reflexivity is the source of conflict between social and cognitive perspectives on language when trying to determine to what extent, if any, the necessity of responding in language predetermines what is said. Social psychologists, more specifically discourse psychologists (i.e. Parker, 1992, as cited in: Cooper & Kay, 2007, p. 105), claims that in using language individuals do so in a social and historic context, with an audience and for a…
- 1782 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It endeavours to answer the question what is language and how is it represented in the mind? Language is a system of symbols and rules; exclusive in its form to human beings that enables us to communicate. Symbols are things that stand for other things: words, either written or spoken, are symbols and the rules specify how words are ordered to form sentences. Language symbols are arbitrary, with no necessary connection between the symbol, be it word or gesture, and the object or idea to which it refers. For example, if one wanted to construct a new word for tree', they could use almost any legitimate combination of sounds that are not already being used for other purposes. However, symbols must be used systematically for effective communication to occur. The arbitrary symbol system must be shared; for communication to take place at least two people must have access to the system.…
- 7055 Words
- 29 Pages
Good Essays -
Linguistic Anthropology is the study of language, especially how language is structured, evolution of language, and the social and cultural contexts for language.…
- 561 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Bound morphemes- cannot occur on their own as full words (adds additional meanings to words)…
- 4499 Words
- 18 Pages
Powerful Essays -
In the book, The Epic of America, written in the year of 1931, author James Truslow Adams was the first to give a “clear” definition of what the American Dream really is. He stated that the American Dream is “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (Truslow 214). Although his definition describes what the American Dream is, it does not explain what everyone’s American Dream is throughout the world. This is because each person has their own idea of a perfect life, therefore giving them their own distinct Dream and ways to achieve it. For some people, the ideal and perfect life may mean finally leaving their home country and traveling to America to be successful and prosperous. For others, it may mean getting married, having two beautiful children living in a three bedroom house with a white picket fence. Although several people may have the same outcome they would like to accomplish, it is how they get there that distinguishes them from the rest. As a young, only child, I determined what I wanted my American Dream to be and that was to grow up underneath the influence of my parents and have the perfect family with a dog, but I still have yet to make it there. Sometimes, some people just have to wake up and realize that their American “Dream” is more like an American “Nightmare.”…
- 1636 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
Anthropological linguistics: This subfield of Anthropology is focusing on the study of language and culture and the connections between language, human biology and cognitions. Someone studying Anthropological linguistics may be interested in studying the different languages of Native Australians.…
- 302 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
As The New Lexicon Webster 's Dictionary of the English Language tells us, linguistics is the scientific study of language or languages whether from a historical and comparative (diachronic) or from a descriptive, structural (synchronic) point of view. Linguistics is concerned with the system of sounds of language; for example, sound change (phonology), its inflections and word formation (morphology), its sentence structure (syntax), and its meaning changes (semantics), as well as other minor features such as grammar and spelling. Linguistic style is what helps to separate one author 's literary work from anyone else 's; it is the cornerstone of what makes an author 's work unique…
- 2098 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Language can be defined as the human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication. This system allows individuals to express and communicate thoughts and feelings by using speech sounds and written symbols. The scientific study of language is linguistics. There are four key features of language, which are phonemes, words, sentences and text. Phonemes-phonetics can be considered the most important key feature of languages, because this aspect is what makes each language different from one another. Phonemes are sounds usually indicated by slash symbols, and these sounds cannot be broken into smaller sounds. Phonetics studies the physical properties of those speech sounds, and what they mean. Words, the second key feature in…
- 1357 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
The look at the history, evolution, and inner structure of human languages is linguistic anthropology. Linguistic anthropology studies links between different societies and explores how humans communicate and reason with one another. It also allows us to explore the connection between language, the mind, and behavior. Language is vital to obtaining information and knowledge, and it is the language that the culture itself depends on.…
- 412 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Along these lines, the philosophical investigation of the nature of language—the relations between language, language users, and the world—and the concepts with which language is described and analyzed, both in everyday speech and in scientific linguistic studies become pertinent and absolutely imperative. On the whole, philosophy of language as an academic and philosophical discipline is distinct from linguistics. This is for the reason that its investigations are conceptual rather than empirical. But this, however, does not mean that philosophy of language will not call to mind the message in which linguistic and other related disciplines reveal. Of course, it must pay attention to the facts which linguistics and related disciplines reveal.…
- 4995 Words
- 15 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Using language iss not just about knowledge of the words but also what they mean in cross-cultural communication. Natural Semantic Metalnguage is a language which is used to describe other language. In spite of that, it may be used to describe not only other languages in general, but also themselves. It can be defined as kinds of semantic analysis approach in finding the simplest meaning of a word.…
- 1124 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Syntax looks at the rules of a language, particularly how the various parts of sentences go together. While similar to morphology, which looks at how the smallest meaningful linguistic units, called morphemes, are formed into complete words, syntax examines how fully formed words fit together to create…
- 1298 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Phonetics and phonology are related, dependent fields for studying aspects of language. Phonetics is the study of sound in speech; phonology is the study (and use) of sound patterns to create meaning. Communication could be oral, verbal or written, oral and verbal communication can be reinforce when words spoken are record while written communication can be reinforced when words and sentences written becomes legally binding. Phonetics and phonology is aim at ensuring universal effectiveness and clarity of speech in communication. Phonetics and phonology will help bridge the communication gap between the third world countries and the western world countries. Linguists study all aspects of language, from its formal structural properties through to the way it is used a represented in the brain. Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words. Linguists interested in morphology look at the parts that words are divided into and study the meaning of these individual parts. The main aim of morphology is to assign meaning to parts of words. Syntax is all about the structure of sentences, and what determines which words go where. Semantics is the study of meaning. Semantics is a highly theoretical research perspective, and looks at meaning in language in isolation…
- 1673 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
The task of the linguistics is to work out the rules of language, after that sociolinguistics study any points at which these rules make context with society.…
- 1168 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays