17

17. Unique and non-unique properties of language.

There have been a number of attempts to determine the defining properties of human language, and different lists of features can be found

We shall try to describe in what ways these features are uniquely a part of human language and uniquely to be found in the communication systems of other creatures.

We shall try to describe in what ways these features are uniquely a part of human language and uniquely to be found in the communication systems of other creatures.

Unique properties of language

Displacement -allows the users of language to talk about things and events not present in the immediate environment

We can refer to past and future time, and to other locations

• Arbitrariness - it is generally the case that there is no ‘natural’ connection between a linguistic form and its meaning

. The linguistic form has no natural or ‘iconic’ relationship with the object out in the world

Recognizing this general fact about language leads us to conclude that a property of linguistic signs is their arbitrary relationship with the objects they are used to indicate

• Productivity - it is a feature of all languages that novel utterances are continually being created

A child learning language is especially active in forming and producing utterances which he or she has never heard before

With adults, new situations arise or new objects have to be described, so the language users manipulate their linguistic resources to produce new expressions and new sentences

• cultural transmission/ learnability

language is passed on from one generation to the next

You acquire a language in a culture with other speakers and not from parental genes

Humans are born with an innate predisposition to acquire language and not with the ability to produce utterances in a specific language

The general pattern of animal communication that the signals used are instinctive and not learned

• discreteness (pack vs. back)

the sounds used in language are meaningfully distinct

For example, the difference between a b sound and a p sound is not actually very great but the fact that the pronunciation of the forms pack and back leads to a distinction in meaning can only be due to the difference between the p and b sounds in English

Therefore, each sound in the language is treated as discrete

• duality (sound-meaning)

language is organized at two levels simultaneously. In terms of speech production, we have the physical level at which we can produce individual sounds, like n, i, b. As individual sounds, these sounds have no meaning

However, when we produce those sounds in particular combination, as in bin, we have another level

However, when we produce those sounds in particular combination, as in bin, we have another level

• semanticity (type vs. token) - specific sound signals are directly tied to certain meanings

• complete feedback (monitoring performance)

speakers of a language can hear their own speech and can control and modify what they are saying as they say it

Similarly, signers see, feel, and control their signing.

• prevarication (lying) - prevarication is the ability to lie or deceive

When using language, humans can make false or meaningless statements.

• reflexivity (self-reference) - humans can use language to talk about language

Non-unique properties of language:

• use of vocal-auditory channel (also writing) - human linguistic communication is typically generated via the vocal organs and perceived via the ears

• reciprocity (speaker-receiver) - any speaker/ sender of a linguistic signal can also be a listener/ receiver

• specialization (no other purpose) - linguistic signals do not normally serve any other type of purpose, such as breathing or feeding

• rapid fades - linguistic signals are produced and disappear quickly