•
Functions of Language
• 社会功能
信息传递 人际互动
• 思维功能
思维的形式、过程、生理机制和语言密切相关。 概念 判断、推理 大脑 “赤裸裸”的思维不存在 语言助人达成对外界的认知，储存认知成果，发展认知能力
语言符号的意义在指称心理现实的同时，也反映 人所观察到的客观世界。
the defining properties of human language that distinguish it from any animal system of communication (P. 8)
Design Features of Language
• • • • • Arbitrariness Productivity/Creativity Duality Displacement Cultural transmission
“侬今葬花人笑痴 他年葬侬知是谁”
Why we communicate?
Communication交际
不仅指人与人的思想交流，也包括感情交流等，包括交际 者通过语言相互影响
思想交流？感情交流？一定是在相互影响
!
Design Features
Design features of language语言识别特征
Productivity/Creativity创造性
Unique to human languages, it makes possible the construction and interpretation of new signals by its users. (P. 9) language users can understand and produce sentences they have never heard before. 语言使用者可建构并理解无限多的句子，这些句子之前可 能闻所未闻。 e.g. we can understand sentence like “ A red-eyed elephant is dancing on the hotel bed”, though it does not describe a common happening in the world.
Bee Dance
Cultural Transmission文化传递
We are born with the ability to aquire language, the details of any language system are not genetically transmitted, but have to be taught and learned. (P. 10) 正常人生来有习得语言的能力，此由基因遗传，但并不等 于人生来能用语言，包括母语体系的任何语言必须通过学 习才能习得。
Duality双重性
A small number of sounds can be grouped and regrouped into a large number of units of meaning (words), and the units of meaning can be arranged and rearranged into an infinite number of sentences. (we make dictionary of a language, but we cannot make a dictionary of sentences of that language.(P. 9) 低层次或基础层次上数量有限的语言可以各种方式在高层 次上组成无限多的意义单位。 3 v.s. 3³ 1&0
gene & culture
?
Functions
Functions of Language
• Descriptive/ cognitive/ referential/ propositional function: conveying factual information. • Expressive/ emotive/ attitudinal function: supplying information about the user’s feelings, preferences, prejudices, and values. Social/ interpersonal function: establishing and maintaining social relations between people.
பைடு நூலகம்
语言系统分为音系和语法两层面，两层面上都有最小单 位和最小单位组成大单位的多层组织结构，即语言系统 两层性。
有意义 语法/符号层： 语素（几千）→词（百十万） →词组/短语→短句/小句→句子 （无数） ↑
↑
↑
无意义 音系/语音形式：音位（几十）→音节（数量？）→音步…语调段
语言间差异的原点? 表意翻番增量的节点？
Why infinite sentences with finite words with limited sounds?
Duality双层性
Language is a system consisting of two sets of structures/levels. Lower level — sounds (meaningless) 音系层 Higher level — meaning (larger units of meaning) 语法层
“观音”曾叫“观世音”
Vocal有声
the primary medium is sound for all languages; writing system came much later than spoken form (P. 8) 本质上是个有声体系
Human-specific"人类的"
基础 认知 感觉器官↓ ↑认知水平提高 反映 脑神经↓ ↑ 心理现实 编码 离散化分类概括 ↓ ↑表达对象 指称 义（概念范畴） 语言符号 ↓（社会）约定 一般性 音（语音形式） ↑
{
客观现实
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音响（物质材料 ）特殊性
In the beginning was the word. —John 1:1
Arbitrariness任意性
According to Saussure, there is no logical connection between meanings and sounds. (P. 8) 意义与表示意义的语音间不存在逻辑关系 “水”和“窝头” /ris/ to /rais/
different from the communication systems other forms of life possess, e.g. bird songs, bee dance, animal cries (P. 8) 语言是人类的特有属性 正如伯兰特·罗素（Bertrand Russell）曾经说过的那样： “不管一只狗可以多么流利地吠叫，它无法告诉你它的父 母贫穷但又诚实。”
Why "language" without "a"
studies not any particular language but languages in general (P. 1) 揭示和研究所有人类语言的共同特征和规律
How "Scientific"
based on the systematic investigation of linguistic date, conducted with reference to some general theory of language structure. (P. 1) • observe and collect language facts收集语料 • fomulates some hypotheses提出假设 • check repeatedly against the observed facts to fully prove their validity用更多语料 检验
?
Similar brains, Different languages
What is Linguistics? • Definition • Scope • Development • Important Disctinctions
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What is Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. (P. 1) A person who studies linguistics is known as a linguist.
Why "pen" or "笔" then?
Symbolic符号/象征
words are associated with objects, actions, ideas, etc. by convention（P. 8), 符号意义约定俗称 “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” — Shakespeare
Displacement移位性/不受时空限制
Language can be used to refer to things, which are not present: real or imagined matters in the past, present or future, or in far-away places. Language can be used to refer to contexts removed from immedite situation. (P. 9) 用语言谈论超越说话人所处语境的任何人或物或事，语言 使用不受时空限制。