Linguistic Anthropology

anthropology

study of humans in all times and places (holistic, comparative, fieldwork-based discipline)

theoretical linguistics

study of language from structural point of view, without much attention to cultural contexts of language use

linguistic anthropology

study of language from anthropological perspective

feature/componential analysis

method for revealing culturally important features by which speakers of a language distinguish different words in a semantic domain

frames

created by words
invoke metaphors, grouping ideas into commonly used phrases and influencing the way we experience things

linguistic relativity

idea that languages are different, are arbitrary systems, and that knowing one language does not allow you to predict how another language will categorize and name the world

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

concept of linguistic determinism (language affects ability to perceive, think, and talk about things)

allophone

variant form of a phoneme
member of a group of sounds that together form a singe phoneme
ex =

minimal pair

pair of words in which a difference in sound makes a difference in meaning
ex = bat, cat

paralanguage

(prosody) sounds that accompany speech bat are not directly part of language
ex = mhm, uh-oh, ugh

phone

a sound on a phonetic chart

phoneme

sound that functions to distinguish one world from another in a language

phonemic chart

chart that shows just the distinctive sounds of a language (phonemes)

phonemics

analysis of way sounds are arranged in languages

phonetic chart

chart that shows all sounds of a language

phonetics

identification and descriptions of language sounds

phonology

study of language sounds

affix

a morpheme that attaches to a base to form new words
ex =

allomorph

a variant form of a morpheme

base

morpheme to which an affix can be attached, serving as a foundation for building other words
root - a word, or morpheme, that serves as the underlying foundation for other words
stem - a word, or collection of morpheme,s that is derived from a root and to

bound morpheme

morpheme that must be attached to another morpheme

free morpheme

morpheme that can stand alone

morpheme

smallest unit of meaning in a language

morphology

analysis of words and how they are structured

substitution frame

grammatical frame into which you can place related words, useful for discovering relationships among groups of words or identifying categories of words in a language

tree diagram

grammatical frame into which you separate parts of an ambiguous sentence

syntax

analysis and description of the ways that words are arranged in phrases and sentences

ethnosemantics

(cognitive anthropology) approach in which vocabulary is analyzed to learn about systems of meaning and perception

Ferdinand de Saussure

applied descriptive grammar to study languages
(describing structure and patterning of languages on their own terms)
nature of linguistic sign -> arbitrariness

nature of linguistic sign

(Saussure) division between signifier and signified is the basis for idea that everything gains it meaning out of being in structural oppositional relations with other components

universal grammar

aspect of any human brain that allows acquisition of language
universal characteristics of languages - allows for creation of language theories

Hockett's design features of language

13 features
human language contain all
animal languages contain some

vocal-auditory channel

use of speaking and hearing as a key feature of languages, reflecting an ideology of orality

broadcast transmission & directional reception

sounds of human language are sent out in all directions but that listeners perceive those sounds as coming from a specific direction

rapid fading

(transitoriness) language signals don't last very long

interchangeability

speaker can send and receive the same signal

total feedback

speakers can hear/see themselves talk/sign and they can monitor what they say/sign as they say/sign it

specialization

language sounds are specialized for communication

semanticity

specific sound signals can be directly linked to specific meanings

arbitrariness

no necessary or causal connection between a signal and its meaning

discreteness

units used for communication can be separated into distinct units that cannot be mistaken for one another

displacement

can talk/sign about things that are not present

productivity

allows you to produce and comprehend entirely new utterances that you've never spoken or heard or seen before

traditional transmission

language is learned in social groups

duality of patterning

discrete units of language at one level (sound) can be combined to create different kinds of units at a different level (words)

ethnography of speaking

(ethnography of communication)
an ethnography that focuses on describing and analyzing the easy that people use language in real situations

community of practice

group of individuals who interact regularly, developing unique ways of doing things together

speech community

group of people who share one or more varieties of language and the rules for using those varieties in everyday communication

S-P-E-A-K-I-N-G

ethnography of communication:
Setting/Situation
Participants
Ends
Act sequences
Key
Instrumentalities
Norms
Generes

kinesics

study of body movements, facial expressions, and gestures

primes

(sign language) element of a sign corresponding to the phonological element of a spoken language (phonemes)
categorized by hand shape (dez), hand placement (tab), & hand movement (sig)

proxemics

study of how people perceive and use space
intimate, personal, social, public

sign language

language performed in three-dimensional space; not modeled on any spoken language

dez

phoneme or prime that describes hand shape and/or orientation

sig

phoneme or prime that describes hand movement

tab

phoneme or prime that describes hand placement

speech substitutes

system of communication in which sound signals substitute for spoken worlds or parts of words
drum languages & whistle languages where tone and pitch indicate different vowels or consonants

complexe gesture system

gestural system used instead of a spoken language in situations where speech is not possible

abjad

consonant with implied vowel
appropriate vowel determined from phonology

abugida

(alphasyllabary)
consonant with inherent vowel
[a] inherent
all other vowels marked

alphabetic writing

system in which graphic signs represent individual consonants and vowels

grapheme

smallest segment of speech that is represented in a writing system

lexeme

unit of writing surrounded by white space on a page

logographic writing

system in which graphic signs represent words or the ideas associated with words

logosyllabic writing

system in which signs can carry both semantic and phonetic information

phonetic sign

graphic mark that represents one or more of the sound of a language <ch>

semantic sign

graphic mark that represents a specific idea or meaning <@> <2>

rebus writing

system that uses a single picture to represent two or more words that sound the same (son & sun)

syllabic writing

system in which graphic signs represent individual syllables

bilingualism

ability to speak two language fluently

codeswitching

using more than one variety of language in a single situation or sometimes in different situations (half spanish/half english sentences)

cognates

sets of words in related languages that ca be shown to have descended from a common ancestral language; similar meanings & regular sound correspondences

diglossia

situation where two or more varieties of the same language are used by speakers in a different setting

glottochronology

science of measuring time change in a language
assumes fixed rate of retention

Grimm's Law

(First Germanic Sound Shift or the Rask's rule)
set of statements describing the inherited Proto-Indo-European (PIE) stop consonants as they developed in Proto-Germanic
three parts which form consecutive phases in the sense of a chain shift:
1) voiceless

language families

group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family
Membership is established by comparative linguistics
Daughter languages have a genetic/genealogical relationship
The evidence of linguistic relatio

language isolates

language that cannot be classified into any other language family

phonetic plausibility strategy

assumption that the choice among alternative reconstructions should be based on what seems plausible given what is known about the ways that languages change and the relationship between the sounds on a reconstructed phonetic chart

majority rules strategy

assumption that if there is no phonetically plausible reason to choose a particular sound for a reconstruction, then the choice should be based on whichever sound appears most frequently in the correspondence set

reconstructing proto-language

hypothetical, reconstructed, unattested language from which a number of known languages are believed to have descended by evolution, or slow modification of the proto-language into languages that form a language family

pidgin

language that has developed, through contact, from two unrelated languages

creole

complete language that has emerged out of a pidgin
grammar is elaborate
can be first language of community

marked forms

linguistic form that is considered to be non-neutral in a language and that is derived from a neutral or base form (waitress is from waiter)

unmarked forms

linguistic form that is considered to be a neutral or base fem in a language (waiter)

mock language

generally engaged in by non speakers of a specific language that utilities elements of that language to index negative stereotypes of its speakers: vehicle for unconscious reproduction of racist ideologies through language practice

discourse marker

words/phrases that have little content on their own but can have meaningful meanings in context with thing that is being reiterated or introduced

anthropology

study of humans in all times and places (holistic, comparative, fieldwork-based discipline)

theoretical linguistics

study of language from structural point of view, without much attention to cultural contexts of language use

linguistic anthropology

study of language from anthropological perspective

feature/componential analysis

method for revealing culturally important features by which speakers of a language distinguish different words in a semantic domain

frames

created by words
invoke metaphors, grouping ideas into commonly used phrases and influencing the way we experience things

linguistic relativity

idea that languages are different, are arbitrary systems, and that knowing one language does not allow you to predict how another language will categorize and name the world

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

concept of linguistic determinism (language affects ability to perceive, think, and talk about things)

allophone

variant form of a phoneme
member of a group of sounds that together form a singe phoneme
ex =

minimal pair

pair of words in which a difference in sound makes a difference in meaning
ex = bat, cat

paralanguage

(prosody) sounds that accompany speech bat are not directly part of language
ex = mhm, uh-oh, ugh

phone

a sound on a phonetic chart

phoneme

sound that functions to distinguish one world from another in a language

phonemic chart

chart that shows just the distinctive sounds of a language (phonemes)

phonemics

analysis of way sounds are arranged in languages

phonetic chart

chart that shows all sounds of a language

phonetics

identification and descriptions of language sounds

phonology

study of language sounds

affix

a morpheme that attaches to a base to form new words
ex =

allomorph

a variant form of a morpheme

base

morpheme to which an affix can be attached, serving as a foundation for building other words
root - a word, or morpheme, that serves as the underlying foundation for other words
stem - a word, or collection of morpheme,s that is derived from a root and to

bound morpheme

morpheme that must be attached to another morpheme

free morpheme

morpheme that can stand alone

morpheme

smallest unit of meaning in a language

morphology

analysis of words and how they are structured

substitution frame

grammatical frame into which you can place related words, useful for discovering relationships among groups of words or identifying categories of words in a language

tree diagram

grammatical frame into which you separate parts of an ambiguous sentence

syntax

analysis and description of the ways that words are arranged in phrases and sentences

ethnosemantics

(cognitive anthropology) approach in which vocabulary is analyzed to learn about systems of meaning and perception

Ferdinand de Saussure

applied descriptive grammar to study languages
(describing structure and patterning of languages on their own terms)
nature of linguistic sign -> arbitrariness

nature of linguistic sign

(Saussure) division between signifier and signified is the basis for idea that everything gains it meaning out of being in structural oppositional relations with other components

universal grammar

aspect of any human brain that allows acquisition of language
universal characteristics of languages - allows for creation of language theories

Hockett's design features of language

13 features
human language contain all
animal languages contain some

vocal-auditory channel

use of speaking and hearing as a key feature of languages, reflecting an ideology of orality

broadcast transmission & directional reception

sounds of human language are sent out in all directions but that listeners perceive those sounds as coming from a specific direction

rapid fading

(transitoriness) language signals don't last very long

interchangeability

speaker can send and receive the same signal

total feedback

speakers can hear/see themselves talk/sign and they can monitor what they say/sign as they say/sign it

specialization

language sounds are specialized for communication

semanticity

specific sound signals can be directly linked to specific meanings

arbitrariness

no necessary or causal connection between a signal and its meaning

discreteness

units used for communication can be separated into distinct units that cannot be mistaken for one another

displacement

can talk/sign about things that are not present

productivity

allows you to produce and comprehend entirely new utterances that you've never spoken or heard or seen before

traditional transmission

language is learned in social groups

duality of patterning

discrete units of language at one level (sound) can be combined to create different kinds of units at a different level (words)

ethnography of speaking

(ethnography of communication)
an ethnography that focuses on describing and analyzing the easy that people use language in real situations

community of practice

group of individuals who interact regularly, developing unique ways of doing things together

speech community

group of people who share one or more varieties of language and the rules for using those varieties in everyday communication

S-P-E-A-K-I-N-G

ethnography of communication:
Setting/Situation
Participants
Ends
Act sequences
Key
Instrumentalities
Norms
Generes

kinesics

study of body movements, facial expressions, and gestures

primes

(sign language) element of a sign corresponding to the phonological element of a spoken language (phonemes)
categorized by hand shape (dez), hand placement (tab), & hand movement (sig)

proxemics

study of how people perceive and use space
intimate, personal, social, public

sign language

language performed in three-dimensional space; not modeled on any spoken language

dez

phoneme or prime that describes hand shape and/or orientation

sig

phoneme or prime that describes hand movement

tab

phoneme or prime that describes hand placement

speech substitutes

system of communication in which sound signals substitute for spoken worlds or parts of words
drum languages & whistle languages where tone and pitch indicate different vowels or consonants

complexe gesture system

gestural system used instead of a spoken language in situations where speech is not possible

abjad

consonant with implied vowel
appropriate vowel determined from phonology

abugida

(alphasyllabary)
consonant with inherent vowel
[a] inherent
all other vowels marked

alphabetic writing

system in which graphic signs represent individual consonants and vowels

grapheme

smallest segment of speech that is represented in a writing system

lexeme

unit of writing surrounded by white space on a page

logographic writing

system in which graphic signs represent words or the ideas associated with words

logosyllabic writing

system in which signs can carry both semantic and phonetic information

phonetic sign

graphic mark that represents one or more of the sound of a language <ch>

semantic sign

graphic mark that represents a specific idea or meaning <@> <2>

rebus writing

system that uses a single picture to represent two or more words that sound the same (son & sun)

syllabic writing

system in which graphic signs represent individual syllables

bilingualism

ability to speak two language fluently

codeswitching

using more than one variety of language in a single situation or sometimes in different situations (half spanish/half english sentences)

cognates

sets of words in related languages that ca be shown to have descended from a common ancestral language; similar meanings & regular sound correspondences

diglossia

situation where two or more varieties of the same language are used by speakers in a different setting

glottochronology

science of measuring time change in a language
assumes fixed rate of retention

Grimm's Law

(First Germanic Sound Shift or the Rask's rule)
set of statements describing the inherited Proto-Indo-European (PIE) stop consonants as they developed in Proto-Germanic
three parts which form consecutive phases in the sense of a chain shift:
1) voiceless

language families

group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family
Membership is established by comparative linguistics
Daughter languages have a genetic/genealogical relationship
The evidence of linguistic relatio

language isolates

language that cannot be classified into any other language family

phonetic plausibility strategy

assumption that the choice among alternative reconstructions should be based on what seems plausible given what is known about the ways that languages change and the relationship between the sounds on a reconstructed phonetic chart

majority rules strategy

assumption that if there is no phonetically plausible reason to choose a particular sound for a reconstruction, then the choice should be based on whichever sound appears most frequently in the correspondence set

reconstructing proto-language

hypothetical, reconstructed, unattested language from which a number of known languages are believed to have descended by evolution, or slow modification of the proto-language into languages that form a language family

pidgin

language that has developed, through contact, from two unrelated languages

creole

complete language that has emerged out of a pidgin
grammar is elaborate
can be first language of community

marked forms

linguistic form that is considered to be non-neutral in a language and that is derived from a neutral or base form (waitress is from waiter)

unmarked forms

linguistic form that is considered to be a neutral or base fem in a language (waiter)

mock language

generally engaged in by non speakers of a specific language that utilities elements of that language to index negative stereotypes of its speakers: vehicle for unconscious reproduction of racist ideologies through language practice

discourse marker

words/phrases that have little content on their own but can have meaningful meanings in context with thing that is being reiterated or introduced