Language and Language and LinguisticsLinguisticsDurrenberger and EremDurrenberger and Erem

5 Characteristics of 5 Characteristics of Human LanguageHuman Language

DisplacementDisplacement OpenOpen DiscreteDiscrete duality of patterningduality of patterning arbitrary, learned, traditionalarbitrary, learned, traditional

EticEtic

From linguistics—sounds people really From linguistics—sounds people really makemake

toptop

potpot

What English speakers What English speakers hear:hear:

The “t” of “pot” and “top” are the The “t” of “pot” and “top” are the samesame

The “p” of “pot” and “top” are the The “p” of “pot” and “top” are the samesame

The real sounds are:The real sounds are:

TThhopop PPhhotot

For many langauges, TFor many langauges, Th h is a separate is a separate sound from T and has a different sound from T and has a different letter of the alphabetletter of the alphabet

Same for PSame for Ph h and Pand P

phonphoneticetic

Means the sounds we actually make—Means the sounds we actually make—they may be different, but sound the they may be different, but sound the

same to ussame to us

Click LanguagesClick Languages

Text-to-Speech translatorText-to-Speech translator

PhonPhonemicemic

Is the sounds we hear as being the Is the sounds we hear as being the same, whether they really are the same, whether they really are the

same or notsame or not

Examples?Examples?

Emic/EticEmic/Etic

Etic=the things we can know Etic=the things we can know scientifically, without reference to scientifically, without reference to anyone’s culture—color wheelanyone’s culture—color wheel

Emic=the categories people recognize Emic=the categories people recognize and use in their culture—categories and use in their culture—categories of colorof color

Are there any limits on Are there any limits on cultural variation?cultural variation?

Brent Berlin & Paul KayBrent Berlin & Paul Kay

Do people from different cultures see Do people from different cultures see different colors?different colors?

Or do we all see the same colors Or do we all see the same colors because of our evolutionary history?because of our evolutionary history?

People can see and name a lot of People can see and name a lot of colors, but of these, 11 are focal colors, but of these, 11 are focal points of the system of naming points of the system of naming colors.colors.

11 basic color terms in 3 11 basic color terms in 3 groupsgroups

     

achromatic achromatic black, gray, white black, gray, white

primaryprimaryred, green, blue, yellowred, green, blue, yellow

secondarysecondarybrown, orange, purple, pinkbrown, orange, purple, pink

Paul Kay (linguistics, University of Paul Kay (linguistics, University of California at Berkeley)California at Berkeley)

Terry Regier (psychology, University of Terry Regier (psychology, University of Chicago)Chicago)

Richard Cook (linguistics, University of Richard Cook (linguistics, University of California at Berkeley)California at Berkeley)

John O'Leary (computer science, John O'Leary (computer science, University of Chicago) University of Chicago)

Sometimes there’s a lot of variation Sometimes there’s a lot of variation among cultures—e.g. sounds for among cultures—e.g. sounds for languagelanguage

Sometimes there’s not much variationSometimes there’s not much variation—e.g. focal color terms—e.g. focal color terms

Focal colors in 110 languages

Black dots represent English categories

Etic=what’s really thereEtic=what’s really there

E.g. color chart, phonetic soundsE.g. color chart, phonetic sounds

Emic=the categories people Emic=the categories people recognize and userecognize and use

E.g. in English TE.g. in English Th h = T Ph h =P

SociolinguisticsSociolinguistics

Gendered speechGendered speech