Linguistics is generally defined as the scientific study of language.
Linguistics studies not any particular language, but it studies languages in general.
It is a scientific study, because it is based on the systematic investigation of linguistic date, conducted with reference to some general theory of language structure.
1.1.2 The scope of linguistics
phonetics
The study of sounds
phonology
Diachronic study of sounds
morphology
The study of the way in which these symbols are arranged and combined to form words
syntax
The study of these rules
semantics
The study of meaning
pragmatics
The study of meaning in the context of language use
other combined studies
sociolinguistics
The studies of all these social aspects of language and its relation with society
psycholinguistics
The study of language to psychology
applied linguistics
The study of such applications
1.1.3 Some important distinctions in linguistics
1) Presccriptive vs. descriptive
A linguistic study aims to describe and analyze the language people actually use
The linguistic study aims to lay down rules for "correct and standard" behavior in using language
2) Synchronic vs. diachronic
The description of a language at some point of time in history is a synchronic study
The description of a language as it changes through time is a diachronic study
3) Speech vs. writing
1. Speech is prior to writing
2. Speech plays a greater role than writing in terms of the amount of information conveyed
3. Speech os always the way in which every native speaker acquires his mother tongue
4. Spoken language reveals more true features of human speech
4) Langue and parole
Langue refers to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community
Parole refers to the realization of langue in actual use
5) Competence and performance
Competence is the ideal user's knowledge of the rules of his language
Performance is the actual realization of this knowledge in linguistic communication
6) Traditional grammer and modern linguistics
Traditional grammer: prescriptive, written word, latin-based
Modern linguistics: descriptive, spoken language, not necessarily latin-based
1.2 What is language?
1.2.1 Definitions of language
Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symblos used for human communication.
Language is a system
Language is arbitrary
Language is vocal
Language is human-specific
1.2.2 Design features of language
Arbitrariness
This means that there is no logical connection between meanings and sounds
Productivity
Language is productive or creative in that it makes possible the construction and interpretation of new signals by its users.
Duality
At the lower or the basic level there is a structure of sounds, which are meaningless by themselves.
The units at the higher level can be arranged and rearranged into an infinite number of sentences.
Displacement
Language can be used to refer to things which are present or not present, real or imagined matters in the past, present, or future, or in far away places.
