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Language

Language. 1. Humans’ accommodations for language 2. Some characteristics of language. Mammals. Distinctive traits include Lactation Mammalian “isolation cry” Neoteny Middle ear Larynx. Larynx. Functions Controls airflow Phonates. Glottis. Glottis Air flow Phonation. Glottis.

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Language

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  1. Language 1. Humans’ accommodations for language 2. Some characteristics of language English 306A; Harris

  2. Mammals • Distinctive traits include • Lactation • Mammalian “isolation cry” • Neoteny • Middle ear • Larynx English 306A; Harris

  3. Larynx • Functions • Controls airflow • Phonates English 306A; Harris

  4. Glottis • Glottis • Air flow • Phonation English 306A; Harris

  5. Glottis • Glottis • Air flow • Phonation English 306A; Harris

  6. Larynx, tongue, Heimlich • Apes, australopithecus, babies • Tongue rooted in mouth • Larynx behind mouth • Can breathe and swallow at the same time • Adult homo erecti + • Tongue rooted in throat • Larynx in throat • Cannot breathe and swallow at the same time English 306A; Harris

  7. Lower tongue root + larynx = • Consonants and vowels (big flappy lips help too) • Syllables • Patterns of rhythm and modulation English 306A; Harris

  8. Lower tongue root + larynx = Speech English 306A; Harris

  9. Oh, and one more thing English 306A; Harris

  10. Oh, and one more thing A brain English 306A; Harris

  11. Oh, and one more thing A brain Motor cortex English 306A; Harris

  12. Oh, and one more thing A brain Motor cortex Auditory cortex English 306A; Harris

  13. Oh, and one more thing A brain Motor cortex Auditory cortex Language areas English 306A; Harris

  14. Oh, and one more thing Motor cortex Wernicke’s area(Language) Broca’s area(Language) Auditory cortex English 306A; Harris

  15. Auditory cortex • Tuned to language • Highly sensitive in the 5,000 - 20,000 Hz range • Discriminates phoneme boundaries English 306A; Harris

  16. Motor cortex English 306A; Harris

  17. Language properties • Parity • Universality • Mutability • Tacitness • Displacement • Duality • Productivity (creativity) English 306A; Harris

  18. Parity All languages are equal. English 306A; Harris

  19. Universality • All grammars share some basic properties. • Words • Nouns • Verbs • Sentences • Assertions • Questions • Semantic roles • Agents • Patients • Locations English 306A; Harris

  20. Mutability Languages change.  cool neat groovy far-out radical cool English 306A; Harris

  21. Tacitness A great deal of grammatical knowledge is tacit knowledge. [p] vs [ph] vs [p¬] English 306A; Harris

  22. Charles Hockett’s ‘Design Features’ • There is...a sense in which [productivity], displacement, and duality...can be regarded as the crucial, or nuclear, or central properties of human language. English 306A; Harris

  23. Displacement • Messages can refer to things remote in time and space, or both, from the site of the communication. English 306A; Harris

  24. Duality of patterning • At every level: elements and combinatorics • Sounds combine into syllables and morphemes • Morphemes combine into words • Words combine into phrases and sentences • Sentences combine into turns or paragraphs • Turns combine into conversations • Paragraphs combine into texts English 306A; Harris

  25. Elements + combinatorics = • Productivity (creativity) • New vocables • New words • New sentences • New meanings English 306A; Harris

  26. Elements + combinatorics = Language English 306A; Harris

  27. Wired for language • Humans are specially built for language • Anatomically • Throat, mouth, lips • Ear • Motor, auditory cortex • Language areas • Conceptually • Displacement • Duality of patterning • Productivity English 306A; Harris

  28. Language has special properties • General • Parity • Mutability • Universality • Tacitness • Conceptual • Displacement • Duality of patterning • Elements and combinatorics • Productivity English 306A; Harris

  29. Any questions? • General • Parity • Mutability • Universality • Tacitness • Conceptual • Displacement • Duality of patterning • Elements and combinatorics • Productivity English 306A; Harris

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