Introduction to Linguistics UDE
Definitions from the Lecture Introduction to Linguistics from WiSe25/26 and SoSe26 UDE
Definitions from the Lecture Introduction to Linguistics from WiSe25/26 and SoSe26 UDE
Speech Act Theory: Illocutionary Act
speech intention, force of saying smth.
Speech Act Theory: Locutionary Act
actual wording, saying smth., using sounds, words with meaning
Speech Act Theory: Perlocutionary Act
Effect, what is achieved by saying smth.
Representatives/Assertives
contain a certain statement about the world (true/false) e.g. describe, claim, state, insist
Directives
attempts by speaker to get hearer to do smth. e.g. order, request, ask
Commissives
commit speaker to perform some future action, e.g. promise, swear, guarantee
Expressives
express psychological state of certain attitude of speaker, e.g. like, love, sorry, thanks
Declaration
changes reality by being spoken, e.g. baptise, fire, marry
4 Grice's Cooperative Principles / Maxims
1. Quantity
2. Quality
3. Relation
4. Manner
Maxim: Quantity
make your contribution as informative as is required
do not make your contribution more informative than is required
Maxim: Quality
Supermaxim: Try to make your contribution one that is true
Do not say what you believe is false
Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence for
Maxim: Relation (Relevance)
Be relevant
Maxim: Manner
Supermaxim: Be perspicuous
1. Avoid obscurity of expressions
2. Avoid ambiguity
3. Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity)
4. Be orderly
Violation of maxim:
non cooperative behaviour: e.g. A: Where were you? B: (lying) At the office. (Quality violation)
Flouting of a maxim
fail to fulfil maxim, recipient understands that the speaker is cooperative but generates a conversational implicature, e.g. A: Where have you been? B: Out.
Conversational implicature in maxims
if utterances doesn't confirm to maxims (not nonsense but: there is an appropriate meaning to be inferred)
Deixis
points to a current communicative situation
Person deixis
speaker, addressee, third party, etc. - I, you, he, they, our, ...
Place deixis
position in relation to the position of the speaker - here, there, this, that, come, next town,...
Time deixis
time reference in relation to the speakers position in time - today, now, tomorrow, current, next, last, ...
Introspective
Relying on intuition of linguists
Empirical
Using authentic data as the basis of research
Theoretical approach of language
Developing a theoretical part
Applied approach of language
application of knowledge
language specific
only one language in focus
comparative
comparing languages to discover patterns
Descriptive
observing a particular part of language in a neutral way
Prescribtive
formulating rules for the correct use of particular language
Synchronic
Describing language at a specific time
Diachronic
Linguistic change through time
Formalism (Chomsky)
Units of language are combined into larger strings following rules
Meanings and functions are structured by syntax
Competence: mental knowledge
Performance: actual language use
Functionalism (Bühler: Organon Modell, 1934 & Jakobson: Six functions of language, 1960)
Units of language have certain functions; these functions and meanings explain the linguistic system and its structures
Structuralism (Saussure: the lingustic sign, 1916 & Odgen and Richards: Semiotic Triangle, 1923)
Language as an overarching structure; units of language are analysed in terms of their relationship within and to the system
Duality
2 Levels
1. limited set of discrete sounds and rules
2. infinite combinations (words and sentences)
-> human language is economical
Arbitrariness
no natural connection between sound and meaning (exceptions: onomatopoeia)
Reflexivity
language can be used to think/talk about itself -> metalinguistic function
Displacement
Language can be used to refer to context removed from the immediate situation
Recursion/Productivity
the ability to produce a theoretically infinite number of grammatical sentences
cultural + social transmission
language is taught + learned within a cultural context
Homophones (for single sounds)
same sound, different spelling (e.g. /u:/ you, blue, new, ...)
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Cartes-fiches
Converseness
one term implies the other e.g. John is Mary's husband - Mary is John's wife.
Directional opposition
opposites with movement (place or change of directions) e.g. enter-leave, open-shut, come-go
Sense relation: Hierarchical
includes: Hyponymy and Meronymy
Hyponymy
hyperonym: overarching parent category
hyponym: lower part of the categorie
e.g. animal hyperonym
mammal bird fish hyponym hyperonym
dog,fox,elephant hyponym
Meronymy
part of a whole
holonym: bigger picture
meronym: part of the bigger picture
e.g.
house holonym
door window roof meronym holonym
handle, lock, doorleaf meronym
Polysemy
one word, several meanings (etymologically related)
e.g. mouse 1. small animal, 2. computing device
Homonymy
same word, different meaning (no related meaning)
e.g. can -> können/Dose
Homophon
same pronunciation, different spelling, different meaning
e.g. flower - flour -> Blume - Mehl
Homograph
same spelling, different pronunciation, different meaning
e.g. row -> Reihe/ Streit
Etymology
study of the history of words
pragmatics
study of meaning in context
lingustic co-text
the words used before or after it
extra linguistic context
where was utterances made, what people/objects are present, relationship between speaker and listener
Speech Act Theory: Illocutionary Act
speech intention, force of saying smth.
Speech Act Theory: Locutionary Act
actual wording, saying smth., using sounds, words with meaning
Speech Act Theory: Perlocutionary Act
Effect, what is achieved by saying smth.
Representatives/Assertives
contain a certain statement about the world (true/false) e.g. describe, claim, state, insist
Directives
attempts by speaker to get hearer to do smth. e.g. order, request, ask
Commissives
commit speaker to perform some future action, e.g. promise, swear, guarantee
Expressives
express psychological state of certain attitude of speaker, e.g. like, love, sorry, thanks
Declaration
changes reality by being spoken, e.g. baptise, fire, marry
4 Grice's Cooperative Principles / Maxims
1. Quantity
2. Quality
3. Relation
4. Manner
Maxim: Quantity
make your contribution as informative as is required
do not make your contribution more informative than is required
Maxim: Quality
Supermaxim: Try to make your contribution one that is true
Do not say what you believe is false
Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence for
Maxim: Relation (Relevance)
Be relevant
Maxim: Manner
Supermaxim: Be perspicuous
1. Avoid obscurity of expressions
2. Avoid ambiguity
3. Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity)
4. Be orderly
Violation of maxim:
non cooperative behaviour: e.g. A: Where were you? B: (lying) At the office. (Quality violation)
Flouting of a maxim
fail to fulfil maxim, recipient understands that the speaker is cooperative but generates a conversational implicature, e.g. A: Where have you been? B: Out.
Conversational implicature in maxims
if utterances doesn't confirm to maxims (not nonsense but: there is an appropriate meaning to be inferred)
Deixis
points to a current communicative situation
Person deixis
speaker, addressee, third party, etc. - I, you, he, they, our, ...
Place deixis
position in relation to the position of the speaker - here, there, this, that, come, next town,...
Time deixis
time reference in relation to the speakers position in time - today, now, tomorrow, current, next, last, ...
