linguistics

Chapter one Linguistics

1. Definition of linguistics: the scientific study of language.

讲：

Linguistics

deals

with

the

complicated

system

of

language

and

the

rules

operating

in

it.

The

purpose

of

studying linguistics is to

examine the body of facts

that and to

make general statements

about its various elements

that relate to regular rules.

Linguistics tries to tell people

common characteristics that all language share

facts about language.

The founder

of general linguistics:

Saussure

,

established modern linguistics as an independent science.

2. Scope of linguistics

（陈）

2.1 In the study of intralinguistic

relationships

among different linguistic elements

:

phnetics

语音学，

phonology

音位学，

morphology

形态学

,

syntax

句法学

,

semantics.

(These branches fall into the scope of general linguistics: the study of language in relation to other sciences.)

2.1 In the study of

extralinguistic

relationships

with the outside world

:

sociolinguistics,

psycholinguistics,

applied

linguistics,

neurolinguistics,

mathematical

linguistics,

pragmatics

胡：

Main branches of linguistics

1. Phonetics: is the study of speech sounds, it includes three main areas: articulatory phonetics, acoustic phonetics,

and auditory phonetics.

2. Phonology: studies the rules governing the structure, distribution, and sequencing of speech sounds and the shape

of syllables.

3. Morphology: studies the minimal units of meaning

–

morphemes and word- formation processes.

4. Syntax: refers to the rules governing the way words are combined to form sentences in a language, or simply, the

study of the formation of sentences.

5. Semantics: examines how meaning is encoded in a language.

6. Pragmatics: is the study of meaning in context.

3. Approaches to language

Different approaches can be made in the study of language.

3.1.

1

diachronic (or historical )

linguistics:

历时（在历史的过程中研究语言：纵向）

If we make a study of language from its development

in the course of time

, it is termed~.

3.1.

2

synchronic

linguistics.

共时（以固定的时间为观察角度：横向

eg.

现代语言学）

It is devoted to the

description

and analysis of a

given

linguistic status or stage of a particular language.

3.2

.

comparative

linguistics.:

It makes a comparative study of the similarities and differences among languages.

3.3.

1

descriptive

linguistics (

描写式

): describes how a language is actually used.

3.3.

2

prescriptive

linguistics (

规定式

): attempts to prescribe rules or principles for how people ought to use a lg.

辨析

1)

If

the

linguistic

study

aims

to

describe

and

analyze

the

language

people

actually

use,

it

is

said

to

be

descriptive;

If the linguistic study aims to lay down rules for

To tell people what they should say and what they should not say, it is said to be

prescriptive.

2)

For example, “Don’t say X.” is a prescriptive command; “People don’t say X.” is a descriptive statement.

3) The distinction lies in prescribing how things ought to be and describing how things are. In the 18th century,

all

the

main

European

languages

were

studied

prescriptively.

However,

modern

linguistics

is

mostly

descriptive

because the nature of linguistics as a science determines its preoccupation with description instead of prescription.