CREDIT
                                                                                     L           T          P
                      SHS1207          INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS
                                                                                       4          0           0          4
           Course Objectives:
            Tointroduce students to Linguistics as a scientific study of language and to familiarize them with different branches,
           basic concepts involved in the area of linguistics
           Learning outcomes: At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
                •   Define the concepts of linguistics as a scientific study of language, demonstrate their knowledge of the main
                    ideas of how the concept of language is defined in linguistics and various branches of linguistics by
                    recollecting key terms and illustrate by giving examples, reason about its applicability on spoken language,
                    written language and sign language, as well as on animal communication.
                •   Differentiate between a descriptive and a prescriptive view on linguistic phenomena and between
                    fundamental concepts and distinctions in linguistics
                •   discuss some basic concepts within diachronic variations in language with examples
                •   describe and illustrate basic concepts like Varieties of dialect, Register, within morphology, such as:
                    defining word, illustrating word formation
                •   define and analyse linguistic material with regards to the basic Sentence Patterns: Intransitive Predicate
                    Pattern, Transitive Predicate Pattern
                •   recall definitions of Transformational Generative Grammar. Supra- Sentential Grammar.
                •   Semantic roles account for basic concepts within semantics and pragmatics with a focus on lexical
                    semantics (e g synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, homophony
           UNIT I - Basic Concepts of Linguistics (9 Hrs) What is Language, definitions of language. Language as a means
           of communication. Language is arbitrary. Language is a system of systems. Language is vocal. Language VS
           animal communication . Language is a form of social behaviour. Language is a symbol system. Productivity. Why
           study language? Linguistics- Definition.
           Linguistics  as a Science. Descriptive, comparative and Historical Linguistics. Branches of Linguistics-
           Psycholinguistics, Socio linguistics, Anthropological Linguistics, Literary Stylistics. Relationship between branches of
           linguistics.
           UNIT II – Fundamental Concepts and Distinctions in Linguistics                                                 (9 Hrs)
           The Language / Parole distinction, and competence vs Performance. Branches of Linguistics . Diachronic and
           Synchronic Approaches.
           UNIT III – Modern Linguistics
           The Study of Language Variation . Some diachronic variations in Language. Synchronic Variations due to language
           contact. Varieties of dialect. Register    &Classification of Register.                                        (9 Hrs)
           UNITIV – Study of Language; Study Language                                                                     (9 Hrs)
           Functions and Definitions of Grammar . Morphology and word Formation. Segmentation. Ways of word formation
           –Affixes, Conversions, compound formation, Reduplication, Clippings, acronyms, Blends and Borrowings.
           UNIT V – Syntax and Semantics                                                                                  (9 Hrs)
           ABasicSentence.BasicSentencePatterns: Intransitive Predicate Pattern, Transitive Predicate Pattern.
           Structuralists view of Grammar. Transformational Generative Grammar. Supra- Sentential Grammar.
           Semantics. What is Meaning? lexical and grammatical meaning
           Text Book:
           Syal P.& Jindal D.V.( 2009) An Introduction to Linguistics PHI Learning Pvt Ltd. New Delhi
           Reference:
           Bruce Haye et al. ( 2013 )Linguistics: An Introduction to Linguistic Theory. John Wiley & Sons. India
            Elizabeth Winkler. (2015)Understanding Language: A Basic Course in Linguistics. Bloomsbury Publishing.
                          English Language ISBN 9780706999068. Vikas Publications. India
           WrennC.L.
           Jespersen. Otto. ( 2010). Growth and Structure of English Language- Nabu Press. ISBN-13: 978-1177766593
           Albert C. Baugh. (2012) A History of English Language. Pearson
           VermaS.K. &, Krishnaswamy N. (1997) Modern Linguistics: An Introduction. Mazon
           Wood. (2014). An Outline History of The English Language. Elements of English
           Rhetoric and Prosody- Bose & Sterling
           ATextbook of English Phonetics for Indian Students- T. Balasubramanian
           'An Encyclopedia of Linguistics- David Crystal An Introduction to Linguistics- Syal and Jindal.
                     SCHOOLOFSCIENCE&HUMANITIES
                         DEPARTMENTOFENGLISH
               UNIT–I–INTRODUCTIONTOLINGUISTICS–SHS1207
                        Unit - I
                  Basic Concepts of Linguistics
       WhatisLanguage
         Humanbeings can communicate with each other. We are able to exchange knowledge,
       beliefs, opinions, wishes, threats, commands, thanks, promises, declarations, feelings – only
       our imagination sets limits. We can laugh to express amusement, happiness, or disrespect, we
       can smile to express amusement, pleasure, approval, or bitter feelings, we can shriek to
       express anger, excitement, or fear, we can clench our fists to express determination, anger or
       a threat, we can raise our eyebrows to express surprise or disapproval, and so on, but our
       system of communication before anything else is language.The first step towards a definition
       we can say that it is a system of communication-based upon words and the combination of
       words into sentences. Communication by means of language may be referred to as linguistic
       communication, the other ways mentioned above – laughing, smiling, shrieking, and so on –
       are types of non-linguistic communication.
       Most of all non-human species can exchange information, but none of them is known to have
       a system of communication with a complexity that in any way is comparable to language.
       Primarily, they communicate with non-linguistic means resembling our smiling, laughing,
       yelling, clenching of fists, and raising of eyebrows. Chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans
       can exchange different kinds of information by emitting different kinds of shrieks, composing
       their faces in numerous ways, and moving their hands or arms in different gestures, but they
       do not have words and sentences. By moving in certain patterns, bees are apparently able to
       tell their fellow workers where to find honey, but apparently not very much else. Birds sing
       different songs, whose main functions are to defend their territory or to attract a mate.
       Language – as defined above – is an exclusively human property.
       Definitions of Language
       Manydefinitions of language have been proposed. Henry Sweet, an English phonetician and
       language scholar, stated: “Language is the expression of ideas by means of speech-sounds
       combined into words. Words are combined into sentences, this combination answering to that
       of ideas into thoughts.” The American linguists Bernard Bloch and George L. Trager
       formulated the following definition: “A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by
       means of which a social group cooperates.” Any succinct definition of language makes a
       number of presuppositions and begs a number of questions. The first, for example, puts
       excessive weight on “thought,” and the second uses “arbitrary” in a specialized, though
       legitimate, way.
       A number of considerations (marked in italics below) enter into a proper understanding of
       language as a subject:Every physiologically and mentally typical person acquires in
       childhood the ability to make use, as both sender and receiver, of a system of communication
       that comprises a circumscribed set of symbols (e.g., sounds, gestures, or written or typed
                                                 1
                characters). In spoken language, this symbol set consists of noises resulting from movements
                of certain organs within the throat and mouth. In signed languages, these symbols may be
                hand or body movements, gestures, or facial expressions. By means of these symbols, people
                are able to impart information, to express feelings and emotions, to influence the activities of
                others, and to comport themselves with varying degrees of friendliness or hostility toward
                persons who make use of substantially the same set of symbols.
                LanguageasaMeansofCommunication
                Language is a means of communication that is used to transfer information, ideas, and
                feelings from one person to another.Language is also a system of communication based upon
                words and the combination of words into sentences. By using language,people can develop
                their knowledge and know about something. Cameron (2001:17), in applied linguistics over
                the last decades, it has been common to divide language into the four skill‟s:Listening,
                Speaking, Reading and Writing, and include grammar,vocabulary and phonology to them.
                Learning a language means learning the Language skills and components. The four skill
                above is the important aspect to increasing student’s ability in using English fluently. The one
                of language skill is listening,it is the important component in human life to communicate,
                because People spend more than 45 percent of their communication time in listening,which is
                more than any other communicative activity.Listening is heard specifically or focus on
                listening the detail, where is listening in order to understand the specific information and
                centered on the object that listened. Listening skills is the earliest activities.
                LanguageisArbitrary
                Language is arbitrary. I recently stated that language is arbitrary on Twitter in response to the
                erroneous claim that language is a code. Language is not a code because language is arbitrary.
                When I state that language is arbitrary, I often receive bewildered and sometimes disdainful
                replies such as  English is 80% predictable, written language codifies spoken language, and
                language is rule-governed. I shall therefore clarify the linguistic tenet of the arbitrariness of
                language by unpacking the above statements.
                First, what is meant by arbitrary? Some dictionary definitions of arbitrary include based on
                random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system, existing or coming about
                seemingly at random or by chance or as a capricious and unreasonable act of will, based on
                chance rather than being planned or based on reason, something that is determined by
                judgment or whim and not for any specific reason or rule, and based on individual discretion
                or judgment; not based on any objective distinction, perhaps even made at random.
                Why is language arbitrary? Arbitrariness refers to the quality of “being determined by
                randomness and not for a specific reason.” Language consists of signifiers that represent the
                signified. But the signifier is not the signified. A signifier is a form such as a sound,
                morpheme, word, phrase, clause, or sign. The signified is that to which a signifier refers such
                                                                                                                          2