大学语言学复习资料.doc

语言学复习资料 Chapter One Invitations to Linguistics 1. Language 1)The Definition of Language 语言的定义 Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication. The definition has captured the main features of language, i, e. human-specific, vocal, arbitrary, symbolic, systematic. 语言是人类用以口头交流的任意的符号系统.该定义包含五个要素：人类 口头 任意 符号 系统。 2)The Design Features of Language语言的区别性特征 Design features refer to the defining properties of human language that tell the difference between human language and any system of animal communication. They are: 语言的区别性特征是指人类语言区别于任何其他动物交流系统的特点。主要包括： ①Arbitrariness : This is a core feature of language, which means that there is no logical connection between meanings and sounds. This feature was first discussed by Saussure. There are different levels of arbitrariness : arbitrariness relationship between the sound of a morpheme and its meaning; arbitrary at the syntactic level; arbitrariness and convention. ①任意性 这是语言的核心特征，指符号的形式或声音与其意义之间没有理论或逻辑关系。索绪尔第一次讨论这个特征。任意性存在于不同的层面：单词的声音和意义之间的任意性 句子层面的任意性 任意性和规约性。 ②Duality : It means the property of having two levels of structures, such that units of the primary level are composed of elements of the secondary level and each of the two levels has its own principles of organization. At the lower or basic level there is a structure of sounds, which are meaningless by themselves. But the sounds of language can be grouped into a large number of units of meaning , which are found at the higher level of the system. Then the units at the higher level can be arranged and rearranged into an infinite number of sentences. To talk about duality we must notice that language is hierarchical. ②双重性 双重性指拥有两层结构的这种特性，底层结构是上层结构的组成部分，每层都有自身的组成规则。底层结构有一些本身没有意义的语音组成，但是他们可以各自组合成有意义的单位，从而形成具有独特 确定意义的上层单位。上层单位能够被组合或重新组合成特定数量的句子。说到双重性，我们必须注意语言的等级性。 ③Creativity: By creativity we mean language is resourceful because of its duality and its recursiveness. Because of duality the speaker is able to