This document summarizes some key properties of human language:
1. Displacement allows humans to talk about past and future events not present.
2. Language is arbitrarily connected to meanings rather than naturally.
3. Humans can creatively produce novel utterances by manipulating linguistic resources.
4. Language is culturally transmitted from generation to generation.
5. Human language has two layers of organization with distinct sounds and meanings.
It then contrasts these properties with animal communication, noting animals communicate for immediate purposes while humans can discuss the non-present, and animal signals are fixed while human language allows open-ended creativity.
This document summarizes some key properties of human language:
1. Displacement allows humans to talk about past and future events not present.
2. Language is arbitrarily connected to meanings rather than naturally.
3. Humans can creatively produce novel utterances by manipulating linguistic resources.
4. Language is culturally transmitted from generation to generation.
5. Human language has two layers of organization with distinct sounds and meanings.
It then contrasts these properties with animal communication, noting animals communicate for immediate purposes while humans can discuss the non-present, and animal signals are fixed while human language allows open-ended creativity.
This document summarizes some key properties of human language:
1. Displacement allows humans to talk about past and future events not present.
2. Language is arbitrarily connected to meanings rather than naturally.
3. Humans can creatively produce novel utterances by manipulating linguistic resources.
4. Language is culturally transmitted from generation to generation.
5. Human language has two layers of organization with distinct sounds and meanings.
It then contrasts these properties with animal communication, noting animals communicate for immediate purposes while humans can discuss the non-present, and animal signals are fixed while human language allows open-ended creativity.
This document summarizes some key properties of human language:
1. Displacement allows humans to talk about past and future events not present.
2. Language is arbitrarily connected to meanings rather than naturally.
3. Humans can creatively produce novel utterances by manipulating linguistic resources.
4. Language is culturally transmitted from generation to generation.
5. Human language has two layers of organization with distinct sounds and meanings.
It then contrasts these properties with animal communication, noting animals communicate for immediate purposes while humans can discuss the non-present, and animal signals are fixed while human language allows open-ended creativity.
users to talk about things and events not present in the immediate environment. 2. Arbitrariness - The relationship between linguistic signs and objects in the world. 3. Productivity also called as creativity or open-endedness. The ability of humans to produce new expressions from the existing linguistic knowledge. 4. Cultural transmission A language is passed from one generation to the next.
5. Duality or Double Articulation
There is two layers or levels of organization in human language.
Properties of Human Language
Human Language Animal Language Differences 1. Humans can refer to past and 1. Animal communication seems to be future time. designed exclusively for this moment, Examples: your childhood, past here and now. events, future plans Example: when their owners arrive 2. There is no natural connection 2. There is a clear connection between between a linguistic form and its the conveyed message and the signal meaning. used to convey it. Ex. Aso - animal Example: Dog gestures 3. Humans are continually creating 3. fixed reference each signal in new expressions and novel animal communication is fixed as utterances through manipulation of relating to a particular object or linguistic resources to describe new occasion. objects and situations. Examples: gay language 4. Language acquisition of humans is 4. Animal creatures are born with a set based on the culture they are raised of specific signals that are produce from or culture orientation. instinctively. Example: Korean features but English speaking 5. Has levels which can be broken 5. Animal communication/signal down into two. The distinct sound appears to be a single fixed form that and distinct meaning. Distinct sound cannot be broken down into parts. We can produce individual significant sounds. Distinct meaning The ability to produce number of sound
Human Language & Animal
Language Similarities 1.
combinations with distinct meanings.
One of the most economical features of human language. Example: war-raw, read, dear, dare, bare-bear Prepared by: Ms. Pearly Beth C. Ogayon, Instructor 1, CAS, English 100
References: 1. The Study of Language by George Yule