WHAT IS LINGUISTICS ?

Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It's similar to being a detective but in terms of
language, examining how they function, how they evolve over time, and how humans pick them
up and utilize them for various purposes (especially crime branch). The goal of linguists is to
understand the language’s nature and use it to interpret the results in order to arrive at a
conclusion

Now, let's break down some of the prominent aspects of linguistics:

1. Phonetics: This is all about the physical sounds in speech. Phonetics looks at how these
sounds are made and heard.
2. Phonology: This branch focuses on the way sounds function within particular languages.
3. Morphology: In linguistics, morphology is the study of words, their construction, and their links
to other words in the same language. It looks at word elements like stems, roots, prefixes, and
suffixes as well as word structures.

4. Syntax: Syntax is all about sentence structure and how words come together.
5. Semantics: This branch deals with meaning. It looks at how words, phrases, and sentences
create meaning.
6. Pragmatics: This is the study of how context influences the way language is interpreted.

There are also several interdisciplinary branches of linguistics, including:

1. Historical Linguistics: This branch looks at how languages change over time.
2. Sociolinguistics: This field studies how language varies and changes in social groups.
3. Psycholinguistics: This branch explores how language is processed in the brain.
4. Applied Linguistics: This field uses linguistic research to solve real-world problems.
5. Computational Linguistics: This branch involves using computers to process human
language.
WHAT IS FORENSIC LINGUISTICS ?

A subfield of applied linguistics called forensic linguistics deals with the use of language
techniques and expertise in relation to legal and criminal matters. Forensic linguistics is the
study of spoken and written language analysis with the goal of finding evidence that can be
utilized in court.

But forensic linguistics is not only limited to this application; it can also be used by attorneys and
prosecutors to gather evidence that will establish guilt or innocence based on unique language
use.

ROLE OF A FORENSIC LINGUIST

A forensic linguist is a language expert who assists in criminal and civil investigations by
analyzing written and spoken language evidence. To aid in the investigation of crimes, they
analyze the language in written or recorded materials.

Forensic linguists can help in various ways:

1. Identify the author of a piece of writing.

2. Determine whether a person is telling the truth in a written or spoken statement.
3.Examine phonetics, grammar, sentence structure, dialect, and other linguistic domains to
assess genuineness and guarantee accurate interpretation.
The three main domains of applicability for linguists employed in forensic settings are as follows:

1. Understanding the language of the written law.

2. Recognizing the language used in legal and forensic procedures.
3. The provision of linguistic evidence.

A REAL LIFE CASE

Linguistic analysis can be a powerful tool in solving crimes, and the case of the Zodiac Killer is a
prime example of this. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Northern California was plagued by a
serial killer known as "The Zodiac Killer". Here's how linguistic analysis was used in this case:

1. Decoding Ciphers: The Zodiac Killer sent a series of letters to newspapers containing
cryptograms. Four distinct ciphers were sent, but only one, dubbed Z408, has been definitively
solved. The cipher was solved by a teacher and his wife, Donald and Bettye Harden, using
frequency analysis, spotting plausible phrases, and deciphering the message based on
substitutions from the identified phrases.

2. Analyzing Written Documents: The Zodiac Killer's letters were analyzed for handwriting
samples and latent fingerprints. The FBI's forensic experts were enlisted to analyze these
samples.

3. Signature Analysis: The unique elements of the crime scenes, such as the usage of
cryptograms, taunting messages to the media and law enforcement, and the manner in which
the murders were carried out, were examined by investigators employing signature analysis.

4. Language Use: The Zodiac Killer used specific language patterns in his letters. For instance,
he used the present perfect tense of "have had" rather than the past tense of "had", which
provided insights into his linguistic style.

5. Concealing True Handwriting and Linguistic Style: Throughout the authentic letters, Zodiac
made obvious attempts to conceal his true handwriting and linguistic style. Some examples
include intentionally misspelling words, printing instead of using cursive, intentionally changing
the way he prints certain letters, using terms such as “shall,” etc.

Despite these efforts, the Zodiac Killer's identity remains a mystery. However, the linguistic
analysis provided valuable insights into his motives and methods, and continues to be a crucial
part of the ongoing investigation
REFERENCES

➔ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistics

➔ https://linguistics.ucla.edu/undergraduate/what-is-linguistics/

➔ https://www.learncram.com/education/branches-of-linguistics/

➔ https://www.careers360.com/articles/branches-of-inguistics-counar

➔ https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english/linguistic-terms/forensic-
linguistics/#:~:text=Forensic%20linguistics%20is%20a%20branch%20of%20applied
%20linguistics%20that%20involves,used%20in%20a%20legal%20case.