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Properties of human language

Reflexivity

The property of reflexivity accounts for the fact that we can use language to think and talk about language itself

Example

  • reflect on language,

  • its uses

  • functions

  • corrections about technical terms

  • grammar and past tenses, reflexive pronouns

  • identify other properties of human language

Description of displacement

Displacement

It allows the users of language to talk about things and events not present in the immediate environment. Animal communication is generally considered to lack this property.

When your pet cat comes home and stands at your feet calling meow, you are likely to understand this message as relating to that immediate time and place. If you ask your cat where it has been and what it has been up to, you'll probably get the same meow response.

In human case

Example

angels, fairies, Santa Claus, Superman, heaven, hell, god and so on whose existence is not approved

The dance of honey bees

Exception

Bees pass on information trough a dance. It's passing on information about a site which it visited some time ago and which it now cannot see. Using this information, other bees may locate that site.

Lying

Prevarication

Arbitrariness

Human linguistic signs do not have any natural connection between its form and meaning. In the animal communication, the signs they use are synonymous with meaning. Limited set of vocal or gestural forms.

Onomatopoeic words

Animal sounds: oink, meow roar, and chirp.

These are kind of words resembles and imitates sounds of words itself. They echo the sounds of objects or even activities they represent.

Exception

the onomatopoeic sounds

Actions: beep-beep, slurp, crash

Cultural transmission

We acquire language from culture and environment not from parental genes.

The process whereby a language is passed from one generation to the next is described as cultural transmission.

Example

if an infant born in Korea is adopted by American parents, the child will be able to speak fluent American English in U.S while his/her physical appearances will be Korean. as for the animals they are born with set of specific signals that are produced instinctively. bird example

Human case example

Productivity

Humans are creative with langauge. They are playful and look for new ways to describe the world around.

The communication system of animals is limited because animal signals have fixed reference which means it has particular purpose or occasion.

Honey bee experiment

Animal signals

Honey bees may only convey flight path information about horizontal direction (how far?) not vertical (how high).

Animal communication

Cicadas have only four signals to convey any message.

Monkeys have thirty six signals.

Nowadays, many people use the noun ‘’google’’ as a verb.

Definition

Language is organized at two level simultaneously.

Duality

Example

Human communication has a physical level at which we can produce individual sounds like ‘’n’’, ‘’i’’, ‘’b’’. This is the sound level. Most mamals are able to produce sounds.

However, human language has the level of meaning added to the combination of sounds. Each combination is unique and has particular meaning attached to it.

Thank you

Thank you for your attention

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