Language is a complex symbol system that is arbitrary, social, and acquired through convention rather than instinct. It consists of a structured set of symbols that are both vocal and systematic, and it is uniquely human in nature. Language is productive and constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of its speakers through the creation of new words and modifications to grammar and structure over time.
Language is a complex symbol system that is arbitrary, social, and acquired through convention rather than instinct. It consists of a structured set of symbols that are both vocal and systematic, and it is uniquely human in nature. Language is productive and constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of its speakers through the creation of new words and modifications to grammar and structure over time.
Language is a complex symbol system that is arbitrary, social, and acquired through convention rather than instinct. It consists of a structured set of symbols that are both vocal and systematic, and it is uniquely human in nature. Language is productive and constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of its speakers through the creation of new words and modifications to grammar and structure over time.
Language is a complex symbol system that is arbitrary, social, and acquired through convention rather than instinct. It consists of a structured set of symbols that are both vocal and systematic, and it is uniquely human in nature. Language is productive and constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of its speakers through the creation of new words and modifications to grammar and structure over time.
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LANGUAGE
Definition 1 Language is a symbol system based on pure or arbitrary conventions…infinitely extendable and modifiable according to the changing needs and conditions of the speakers. ( Robins 1985) Example: E.P.N OR P.E.N New words: Sputnik, astronaut Doom scrolling Definition 2 Language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of a system of voluntarily produced symbols. ( Sapir 1921)
Language is species specific and species uniform
Definition 3
Language is a set (finite or infinite) of sentences,
each finite in length and constructed out of finite set of elements. ( Noam Chomsky 1957)
Explanation: Each sentence has a structure.
Human brain constructs different sentences out of limited set of sounds/symbols Definition 4 & 5 A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication (Wardaugh 1972) A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group cooperates. (Bloch and Trager 1942)
Explanation: At the beginning the formation of words
is only arbitrary but convention makes them parts of a system. Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties A game is of cricket uncertainties glorious Language is a system of systems Definition 6
Language is undoubtedly a kind of means of
communication among human beings. It consists primarily of vocal sounds. It is articulatory, systematic, symbolic and arbitrary. (Derbyshire 1967) Characteristics of Language Language is Arbitrary: no inherent relation between the words of a language and their meanings or the ideas conveyed by them. There is no reason why a female adult human being be called a woman in English, aurat in Urdu, Zen in Persian and Feminine in French. The choice of a word selected to mean a particular thing or idea is purely arbitrary but once a word is selected for a particular referent, it comes to stay as such. It may be noted that had language not been arbitrary, there would have been only one language in the world. Language is Social: Language is a set of conventional communicative signals used by humans for communication in a community.
Language in this sense is a possession of a social
group, comprising an indispensable set of rules which permits its members to relate to each other, to interact with each other, to co- operate with each other; it is a social institution.
Language exists in society; it is a means of
nourishing and developing culture and establishing human relations. Language is Symbolic: Language consists of various sound symbols and their graphic counterparts that are employed to denote some objects, occurrences or meaning.
These symbols are arbitrarily chosen and
conventionally accepted and employed. Words in a language are not mere signs or figures, but symbols of meaning.
The intelligibility of a language depends on a correct
interpretation of these symbols. Language is Systematic: Although language is symbolic, yet its symbols are arranged in a particular system. All languages have their system of arrangements. Every language is a system of systems. All languages have phonological and grammatical systems, and within a system there are several sub- systems. For example, within the grammatical system we have morphological and syntactic systems, and within these two sub-systems we have systems such as those of plural, of mood, of aspect, of tense, etc. Language is Vocal: Language is primarily made up of vocal sounds only produced by a physiological articulatory mechanism in the human body. In the beginning, it appeared as vocal sounds only. Writing came much later, as an intelligent attempt to represent vocal sounds. Writing is only the graphic representation of the sounds of the language. So the linguists say that speech is primary. Language is Non-instinctive, Conventional: No language was created in a day out of a mutually agreed upon formula by a group of humans. Language is the outcome of evolution and convention. Each generation transmits this convention on to the next. Like all human institutions languages also change and die, grow and expand. Every language then is a convention in a community. It is non-instinctive because it is acquired by human beings. No body gets a language in heritage; he acquires it. Language is Productive and Creative:
Language has creativity and productivity. The
structural elements of human language can be combined to produce new utterances, which neither the speaker nor his hearers may ever have made or heard before any, listener, yet which both sides understand without difficulty.
Language changes according to the needs of society.
Language has other characteristics such as Duality referring to the two systems of sound and meaning. Displacement which means the ability to talk across time and space, Humanness which means that animals cannot acquire it, Universality which refers to the equilibrium across humanity on linguistic grounds, Competence and Performance which means that language is innate and produced is society and furthermore, language is culturally transmitted. It is learnt by an individual from his elders, and is transmitted from one generation to another. Thus using J. Firth’s term, language is a ‘poly systematic’. It is also open to be studied from multifaceted angles.
