2017م - 1444هـ
What Is Language?

Linguistics

Introduction to Linguistics

Darrell Larsen

Linguistics 101

Darrell Larsen Introduction to Linguistics





Outline

1 What Is Language?

Dening Language

What Isn't Language?

Design Features of Language

Language Miscellania

2 Linguistics

What Is Linguistics?

What Do Linguists Examine?

Competence vs. Performance

Linguistics Miscellania

Darrell





Common Definitions of Language

Definition

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or

conventional symbols" (wordnetweb.princeton.edu)

Definition

a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures or

written symbols that encode or decode information. Human

spoken and written languages can be described as a system of

symbols...and the grammars (rules) by which the symbols are

manipulated" (