Diary Ni Propesor Meme

HOW DO WE DEFINE LINGUISTICS

Bago ko simulan i explain kung sino sino mga naging significant figures in linguistics and yung mga naging contributions nila let me start off with the definition and origin ng word na "Linguistics" Kung itratrace back natin yung origin ng word na "linguistic" it originated from the Latin term "lingua," which means "tongue" or "language." It has been in use for several centuries to refer to matters related to language and communication. While it is challenging to pinpoint the exact moment when the word was first used in its modern sense, the field of linguistics as an academic discipline emerged in the 19th century. mamaya ididiscuss ko yung detalye Oh siyaMga Tsong at Dzai! let me provide muna yung general definition ng linguistics basically, this is the scientific study of language. It is a field that explores the structure, use, and acquisition of language in all its forms, including spoken, written, and signed languages. Linguistics seeks to understand how languages are structured, how they function in communication, how they vary across different contexts and communities, and how they change over time. Linguists analyze the sounds, words, grammar, and meaning of languages, as well as the social, cultural, and cognitive aspects of language use. Overall, linguistics aims to uncover the underlying principles and patterns that govern human language and provide insights into the nature of human communication and cognition. Oh siya move on naman tayo sa mga definitions ng mga renowned figures sa field ng Linguistics, Una si Lolo Noam Chomsky - Transformational-Generative Grammar: Chomsky's theory posits that humans possess an innate language faculty and that grammar is a system of rules that generate an infinite number of sentences.1. Innate Language Faculty: Chomsky suggests that humans are born with a "language acquisition device" (LAD), an innate cognitive capacity that enables us to acquire and produce language. According to Chomsky, this innate faculty allows children to learn language rapidly and with minimal exposure.Example: Children effortlessly acquire complex grammatical structures, such as verb tenses, without explicit instruction.2. Universal Grammar: Chomsky argues for the existence of a universal grammar shared by all human languages. Universal grammar consists of a set of underlying linguistic principles and parameters that shape the structure of all languages.Example: The principle of recursion, which allows for the embedding of phrases within other phrases, is considered a universal property of human language. It allows us to create sentences like "The cat that chased the dog that barked at the postman is black."3. Deep Structure and Surface Structure: Chomsky distinguishes between deep structure and surface structure. Deep structure represents the underlying meaning and syntactic relationships of a sentence, while surface structure is the actual sentence we produce.Example: The sentence "The cat chased the dog" has the same deep structure as "The dog was chased by the cat," but they differ in surface structure.4. Transformational Rules: Chomsky proposes transformational rules that derive surface structures from deep structures. These rules modify or transform the deep structure to create different surface structures while preserving the underlying meaning.Example: Applying the passive transformation rule to the deep structure "The cat chased the dog" results in the surface structure "The dog was chased by the cat."5. Generative Capacity: Chomsky argues that the human mind has infinite generative capacity, meaning that speakers can produce and understand an unlimited number of novel sentences using the rules and structures of their language.Example: Speakers can create new sentences, such as "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," by combining words and following grammatical rules within their language.Bago ko makalimutan didiscuss ko din to, "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously" heto yung sentence na famously coined by Noam Chomsky in 1957. Chomsky used this sentence to demonstrate the limitations of probabilistic models of grammar and to argue for more structured models. Oh teka let's explore the explanation in more details:1. Syntax: From a syntactic perspective, the sentence is grammatically well-formed. It follows the rules of English sentence structure. It consists of a noun phrase ("colorless green ideas") functioning as the subject, a verb phrase ("sleeps furiously") serving as the predicate, and an adverb ("furiously") modifying the verb.2. Semantics: However, when we analyze the semantics, or meaning, of the sentence, it becomes apparent that it lacks a coherent interpretation. The phrase "colorless green" seems contradictory because something cannot simultaneously be colorless and green. Furthermore, the idea of ideas sleeping furiously does not align with our understanding of sleep as a peaceful or calm state.Chomsky's intention with this sentence was to highlight the shortcomings of probabilistic models of grammar that focus primarily on statistical patterns in language. He argued that these models may capture regularities in language usage but fail to account for the underlying structure and rules that allow for meaningful communication.By presenting a sentence that is grammatically correct but lacks meaningful semantics, Chomsky emphasized the importance of a structured approach to grammar analysis. He advocated for a model of grammar that accounts for the hierarchical structure of language, as well as the underlying rules and principles that generate sentences.In summary, Chomsky's sentence "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously" serves as an example to illustrate the inadequacy of purely statistical or probabilistic models of grammar. It highlights the need for linguistic models that incorporate structured rules to capture the complex nature of human language.Ferdinand de Saussure - Structuralism and Semiotics: Saussure emphasized the structural aspects of language, treating it as a system of signs where meaning is derived from relationships within the system.Roman Jakobson - Structural Linguistics and Functionalism: Jakobson's work focused on the analysis of phonology and language functions, emphasizing the interplay between form and function.William Labov - Sociolinguistics and Language Variation: Labov studied the variation of language in relation to social factors, investigating how language changes across different communities and social classes.Edward Sapir - Descriptive Linguistics and Linguistic Relativity: Sapir explored the relationship between language, culture, and thought, suggesting that language influences our perception of the world.Benjamin Lee Whorf - Linguistic Relativity and the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Whorf expanded on Sapir's ideas, proposing that language not only influences but also determines our thoughts and perception of reality.Michael Halliday - Systemic Functional Linguistics: Halliday's theory focuses on the functions of language in communication, examining how language is used to convey meaning in social contexts.John Searle - Speech Acts and Pragmatics: Searle investigated the performative aspects of language, emphasizing the role of intentionality and meaning in speech acts.George Lakoff - Cognitive Linguistics and Metaphor Theory: Lakoff explored the relationship between language and cognition, highlighting the role of metaphor and embodiment in shaping our understanding of concepts.Deborah Tannen - Sociolinguistics and Discourse Analysis: Tannen's research centers on the analysis of communication patterns, particularly in relation to gender and social dynamics.