The essential structure of language
Word resolution
Arbitrariness: There is no inevitable, natural, natural causal relationship between the sounds and meanings of language symbols, and the combination of the two is socially conventional.
2, linearity: the language symbols can only appear one after another in turn, in a linear stretch, and can not be spread into a surface in space.
Two-tiered: Refers to the fact that human language symbols have two units of ideogram and dialectic.
Generative: Refers to the fact that people can use a limited number of linguistic symbols and rules to speak and understand an infinite number of words, including sentences that have never been spoken or heard.
Combinatorial relationship: refers to the linear connection relationship between language symbols in the language stream.
Aggregation relationship: Refers to the clustering relationship in which language symbols accumulate into groups according to some common point outside the language stream.
2. Fill in the blanks
1. Pears distinguishes between three types of symbols: image-like symbols, introductory symbols, and arbitrary symbols.
2. The difference between human language and animal "language" is manifested in discrete, arbitrary, two-tiered, generative, transplantable, and cultural dissemination.
3. Essay questions
1. What is the relationship between the arbitrariness and compulsion of linguistic symbols?
Arbitrariness means that there is no necessary, natural, natural causal relationship between the sounds and meanings of language symbols, and the combination of the two is conventional. There are two kinds of arbitrariness in language, which determine arbitrariness and relative arbitrariness. The phonetic relationship of simple symbols is absolutely arbitrary, such as the meaning of "bound works", the phonetic form "shu" in Chinese, the phonetic form "book" in English, and the phonetic form "[kniga]" in Russian.
There is relative arbitrariness between the sounds of complex symbols. Because complex symbols involve two kinds of relationships: one is the relationship between the sound meanings within the symbol, and the other is the relationship between the symbol and the symbol. For example, the complex symbol "automobile" consists of two simple symbols, and the relationship between the phonetic form "qiche" and "the internal combustion engine is powered by a means of transportation on the road" is arbitrary, and the English uses "automobile" to express the same meaning. However, the Chinese "qiche" cannot be said to be "cheqi", because there is a limited relationship between the two symbols of "automobile" and "car", which is expressed in word order, and changing the word order is not the word.
Mandatory means that once the phonetic relationship of language symbols is formed, later people can only passively accept it and cannot change it at will. Because the arbitrariness of the combination of sounds and meanings tells us that there is no good or bad combination of the sound and meaning of language symbols, so there is no need for people to change; in addition, language is a communication and thinking tool that all members of society must use at any time and anywhere, and it is impossible to change it, otherwise, it is difficult for people to master, and language will lose the necessity of existence.
Therefore, the combination of the musical and semantic arbitrariness of language symbols creates the diversity of world languages, which essentially determines that people do not need to change the relationship between them, making language symbols mandatory.
2. What is the relationship between the arbitrariness of language symbols and the variability and immutability?
Arbitrariness means that there is no inevitable, natural, natural causal relationship between the sounds and meanings of language symbols, and the combination of the two is socially conventional. Mandatory means that once the phonetic relationship of language symbols is formed, later people can only passively accept it and cannot change it at will. Because the arbitrariness of the combination of sounds and meanings tells us that there is no good or bad combination of sounds and meanings that language conforms to, so there is no need for people to change; in addition, language is a communication and thinking tool that all members of society must use at any time and anywhere, and it is impossible to change it, otherwise it is difficult for people to master, and language will lose the necessity of existence.
However, the phonetic relationship of language symbols is variable, in fact, from a historical point of view, it is not uncommon for the phonetic relationships of language symbols to change. This is also determined by the arbitrariness of language symbols, since the combination of phonetic meanings is not good or bad, then, if there is an irresistible force, such as the influence between languages, phonetic fusion, etc., the phonetic relationship of language symbols also changes slowly to adapt to the new situation. It is worth emphasizing that this change is not the result of people's subjective intervention, but the adjustment of the language structure system to adapt to society.
3. Are elephant words arbitrary?
Elephant words are relatively arbitrary. From the reason for the name, the elephant sound word is a sound that simulates the natural world, which is arguable and justified; but from the result of the simulation, the results of the same language in nature can be very different from the results of the language simulation. For example, the barking of dogs in nature is simulated in Chinese as "Wang Wang" and english as "bow-wow"; the bird sound of "cuckoo" is named after the bird sound, which is also an elephant sound word in English, but is simulated as "cuckoo"; the sound of bullet flight, which is simulated as "whoosh" in Chinese, and "zing" in English. The difference is very large, and it does not affect the respective communication, indicating that the phonological relationship of the elephant sound word is essentially arbitrary, and there is no good or bad distinction.
4. Are symbols like "car" arbitrary?
Such symbols are relatively arbitrary. The complex symbol "automobile" consists of two simple symbols, and the relationship between the phonetic form "qiche" and "a means of transportation powered by an internal combustion engine, with wheels, and traveling on the road" is arbitrary, and the same meaning is expressed in English as "automobile". But the Chinese word "qiche" can not be said to be "cheqi", because there is a relationship between the two symbols of "automobile" and "car" between the limited and the limited, expressed in word order, changing the word order, it is not this word.
It can be seen that in essence, complex symbols such as "car" are also arbitrary.
4. Judgment questions
1, the combination of sound and meaning of elephant sound words is not arbitrary (wrong)
2) Chimpanzees are trained to master human language (wrong)
3, "qiche" (car) can not be said to be "cheqi" (car car), which shows that the combination of the sound and meaning of such complex symbols is not arbitrary (wrong)
4, the arbitrariness of language symbols so that people can change the phonetic relationship of language symbols at any time (wrong)
5, the dance language of the bee has a certain degree of arbitrariness (right)
5. Analysis
1. Please read the following English sentence first:
Please ask him to call Mr Wang at 8’ o clock.
Please indicate whether the following items relate to combination or aggregation relationships.
(1) Him, his, he are three forms of English third-person singular pronouns
Aggregation, because it involves the common denominator of the three words him/his/he – the third person singular
(2) K in ask, c in call and ck in clock are the same sound
Aggregation, because it involves the common denominator of the English letters "k/c/ck" – the pronunciation is the same
(3) The object after ask is a singular third-person pronoun, so the object form him is used
Combination, because it involves the relationship between the english and the guest
(4) "at 8'o clock" is a prepositional phrase formed by placing the preposition at before 8'o clock
Combinations, because they involve the collocation of prepositions and noun words in English
2. Please read the following English sentence first, and then answer the question:
She could swim when she was three
Please indicate whether the next item involves a combinatorial or aggregate relationship
(1) The second she is followed by wass in order to be consistent with the she
Combinations, because it involves the consistency of the person and number of the subject-verb collocation in English
(2) She and her are two forms of third-person singular pronouns in English for women
Aggregation, because it involves the common denominator of "she, her" in English - the female third person singular
(3) The letter c in could and the letter ck in clock are pronounced the same sound
Aggregation, because it involves the common denominator of the English letters "k/e/ck" – pronounced the same