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Language Basics for Beginners

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols that humans use to communicate and cooperate. It has different levels including phonetics (speech sounds), phonology (sound systems of a language), morphology (structure of words), syntax (sentence formation), and semantics (meaning). Each level studies a specific component of language, such as phonetics examining individual speech sounds, phonology analyzing a language's sound patterns, and semantics focusing on meaning.

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340 views3 pages

Language Basics for Beginners

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols that humans use to communicate and cooperate. It has different levels including phonetics (speech sounds), phonology (sound systems of a language), morphology (structure of words), syntax (sentence formation), and semantics (meaning). Each level studies a specific component of language, such as phonetics examining individual speech sounds, phonology analyzing a language's sound patterns, and semantics focusing on meaning.

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parth
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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An Introduction to Language

Definition

A means of communication

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means


of which human beings cooperate/ communicate. (Bloch
and Trager)

two parts of this definition

the first part - about the structure of the


language

the second part - about its function.

System

Level of speech sounds : Phonetics

Level of speech sounds : Phonology

Level of word : Morphology

Level of sentence : Syntax

Level of meaning : Semantics

Level of speech sounds : Phonetics [phone]

the study of all existing / known speech sounds


without any reference to a particular language.

a very detailed study.


The study of each and every aspect of a sound; its
articulation, pronunciation, acoustics,
characteristic/ distinctive features, etc.

The speech sound at this level is called a phone


and square brackets are used to represent a
phone.

Level of speech sounds : Phonology /phoneme/

Phonology is based on phonetics.

the study of speech sounds of a particular


language.

the study of sound system/ sound pattern of a


particular language.

Slashes / / are used for a phoneme which is the


basic unit of phonology.

Level of word : Morphology { morpheme}

the study of the structure of a word/words

the shape and form of the word

what a word is made up of

Difference between morphology and etymology.

Etymology is the study of the origin /history of


the word
Level of sentence : Syntax phrase

The study of phrases and sentences

The study of sentence formation or how


sentences are formed.

Level of meaning : Semantics sememe

The study of meaning is called semantics.

Symbols

something that represents something else

p for the sound pa

g for the sound ga

Vocal

The symbols are spoken

Arbitrary

The symbols are illogical.

There is no logic behind why we call a table


table.

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