Semantics is viewed within linguistics as being at one end of the linguistic model, with phonetics at the other end and grammar in the middle. This view is plausible because semantics deals with meaning, phonetics deals with sounds, and grammar deals with structure. Unlike phonetics, semantics cannot be directly observed or empirically verified since the meaning of language cannot be identified independently of language itself. Linguistics aims to study generalizations rather than specific instances, and semantics must be concerned with the meaning of sentences as abstract linguistic objects rather than utterances by individuals.
6. Nearly all linguists have, explicitly or
implicitly, accepted a linguistic model in
which semantics is at one 'end' and
phonetics at the other, with grammar
somewhere in the middle
(though not necessarily that
there are just these three
levels).
7. •Why is this view
“model”
plausible?
Semantics Grammar Phonetics
18. animals communicate
Gibbons
have a set of calls to
indicate
•the discovery of food,
•danger,
•friendly interest,
•desire for company,
•establishing position
19. have a set of calls to
indicate
•the discovery of food,
•danger,
•friendly interest,
•desire for company,
•establish position
20. Language as a system
of communication
differs from other
communication
systems.
21. First, language does not always have
a 'message’
• language is not simply a
matter of providing factual
information.
(Inter-personal relations)
(Social relashionships)
34. English vowels : 1. / i: /
/ i:/
1. / i: / e.g. see
spelling:
ees------ee
vee------e
veeirec------ei
ayqu------ay
eas------ea
ldief------ie
Close, front ,spread narrow lips and long
•We can describe
the operations of
the vocal organs
Articulatory phonetics
44. They are all concerned
essentially to exclude what is
purely individual and accidental
(speaking or performance),
and to insist that the proper study
of linguistics is
language or competence.
45. How does Palmer differ from de
Saussure and Chomsky?
For de Saussure and Chomsky:
language or competence is some
kind of idealised system without
any clear empirical basis
Palmer prefers to think in terms
of generalisations
46. What does this mean?
Let’s take the
example of
“phonetics” again.
47. The phonetician is not
primarily concerned with
• the particular sounds
•that are made at a particular
time
• by a particular person.
48. What does a phonetician do?
S/He studies the pronunciation of
words.
To do so, s/he
(1) will listen to a number of
individual utterances of the word,
and
(2) will make a generalised
statement on the basis of these.
49. What happens at each time
a person speaks is not
usually of interest in itself;
it is rather part of the
evidence for the
generalisations.
55. However, it is interesting or
important for some
purposes to see how and
why an individual diverges
from the normal pattern.
For example:
(1) Literature
(2) Psychiatric stdies.
(3) Etc