语言学概论
Chapter 1
Invitations to Linguistics
1. What is language
Senses of language in Webster’s New World Dictionary (our book, p.
2) “Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human
communication. “(Wardaugh)
2. Design features of language语言设计特征
1. arbitrariness (任意性) 2. duality (双重性)
3. Creativity (创造性) or productivity 4. displacement (移位性)
5. interchangeability (互换性) 6. specialization (专业化)
7. cultural transmission （文化传承）
、
3. Functions of Language(语言功能)
Jakobson’s view: (情感功能) （指代功能) (诗学功能)
（寒暄功能） (元语言) (意动功能)
Halliday’s view: 1.ideational function (概念功能) 2. Interpersonal function（人际功能） 3. Textual function（语篇功能）
Functions on the book: (告知性的) Function(人际功能) (行事功能)
Function Communion（寒暄功能） Function(娱乐功能) Function(元语言功能)
4．What Is Linguistics
• Linguistics is the scientific study of language or the science of
language.
• 1) Exhaustiveness（穷尽性）2) Consistency（贯通性） 3)
Economy（经济性） 4) Objectivity（客观性）
！
vs. performance
言语能力 vs. 言语行为
• Noam Chomsky in his Aspects of the Theory of Syntax.
• Competence refers to a language user’s underlying
knowledge about the system of rules.
• Performance refers to the actual use of language in
concrete situations.
Chapter 2
Speech sounds
1. Consonants and vowels
Distinction between consonants and vowels: the
obstruction （阻塞） of airstream
2. Minimal pairs and minimal sets（最小对立体）
^
① When two words are identical in every way except for a
contrast in one sound segment occurring in the same
position in the string, the two words are called a minimal
pair 最小对立体.
: pit and bit junk and chunk
ban and bin bet and bat
②A minimal pair should follow three conditions: 1) they are
different in meaning; 2) they differ only in one sound
segment; 3) the different sounds occur in the same
position in the strings.
Chapter 3
From morpheme to phrase
1. Root & affix
Root 词根: morpheme which is the basic part of a word. （Occur on its own、may be joined to other
roots、or take affixes (manly, coldness) or
combining forms (biochemistry)
2 It is that part of the word left when all the affixes are
removed.
3． ~
4． All words contain a root morpheme
Affix词缀: letter or sound, or group of letters or sounds(=a
morpheme), which is added to a word, and
which changes the meaning or function of the
word.（Prefix前缀,Suffix后缀，infix中缀：feet，geese）
2. inflectional affix 曲折词缀 and derivational affix 派生词缀
Chapter 5
Meaning
1. The Referential Theory(所指理论)
①The theory of meaning which relates the meaning of
a word to the thing it refers to, or stands for, is known
as the referential theory.
②Reference 所指 refers to the relationship between a
word and the object it denotes in the physical world, .
denotation 外延 in philosophy.
] ③Is a very popular theory (semantic triangle by Ogden
and Richards in Meaning of Meaning )
④Problems with this theory：Not every word has a
reference 所指.
2. Sense relations 意义关系
Sense may be defined as the semantic relations
between one word and another, or more generally between
one linguistic unit and another.
*distinctions between sense and reference:
The distinction between sense and reference is
comparable to that between connotation and denotation in
philosophy
① The former refers to the abstract properties of an
entity, while the latter refers to the concrete entities
having these properties.
② Every word has a sense, but not every word has a
reference.
③ Reference in its wider sense would be the relationship
between a word or phrase and an entity in the external
world.
④ So sense is intra-linguistic and reference is extra- l
linguistic
[
3. 3 kinds of sense relations:
Synonymy （ 同义关系）
Semantic relation of sameness or similarity in meaning of
two or more linguistic expressions. （absolute synonyms 绝对同义词、relative synonyms 相对同义词、Stylistic synonyms 文体同义词、Emotive synonyms 情感同义词、Collocational synonyms： 搭配同义词）
Antonymy （反义关系） · Relation of semantic opposition.
· three main sub-types： 1）Gradable antonymy （等级反义关系）：
They are gradable; the denial of one is not
necessarily the assertion of the other. There is an
intermediate ground between the two.（hot\cold warm\cool tall\short big\small ）
2 Complementary antonymy（互补反义关系）
The members of a pair in this type are
complementary to each other. There is no intermediate
ground between the two.（alive\dead odd\even
single\married male\female pass\fail hit\miss ）
3 [
4 Converse antonymy（相反反义关系）
The members of a pair in this type show the reversal
of a relationship between two entities. They are also
known as relational opposites. There are always two
entities involved. One presupposes the other. （buy\sell give\receive husband\wife
teacher\student above\below before\after）
Hyponymy（上下义关系）
A relationship between two words, in which the
meaning of one of the words includes the meaning of the
other word.
Sometimes a superordinate may be a superordinate
to itself.
A superordinate may be missing sometimes. （red
green yellow）
Hyponyms may also be missing.（uncle rice）
4. Componential analysis (成分分析)
