Exploring Linguistics: Grammar, Pronouns, and Language Evolution
Delve into the world of linguistics with a focus on grammar, pronouns, and the evolution of language. Discover the nuances of English, French, and German languages, explore verb paradigms in Latin, and ponder the intricacies of language use versus language prescription.
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The lure of linguistics, and the glamour of grammar Richard Hudson Royal Grammar School, Guildford May 2014 1
My main points Language includes English as well as Foreign Linguistics is the science of language Linguistics can be interesting surprising useful difficult 2
English: me or I? Which would you say? 1. You and I could do it together. 2. You and me could do it together. Why 2? Bad grammar? The two personal pronouns I and me are often used wrongly, .... (Oxford Dictionaries) And what about between you and I? New grammar 3
Compare German and French Du und ich k nnten es zusammen tun. *!Dich und mich k nnten es zusammen tun. Toi et moi nous pourrions le faire ensemble *! Tu et je pourrions le faire ensemble. So maybe English is moving from German-like to French-like? Because, like French, it s lost case 4
Why? Everyone: I did it (not: *Me did it) Me: Use I for subjects You: Use I for subjects, except with and. Why prefer the more complicated rule? We don t know. 5
Description or prescription? Why not proscribe me and prescribeI? And proscribe French too? Languages do change nor never none Shall mistress be of it to: nor shall any ever be mistress of it. Better: Describe what people actually say and what others think of it Try to understand: why they say it why other people object Shakespeare 6
Description to explanation description Why? What? theory Now for another puzzle about English 7
Verb paradigms: Latin +o am+o am+a+s am+a+t am+a+mus am+a+tis am+a+nt mon+e+o mon+e+s mon+e+t mon+e+mus mon+e+tis mon+e+nt trah+o trah+i+s trah+i+t trah+i+mus ?? trah+u+nt +s +t +mus trah+i+tis +tis +nt +a+ +e+ +i+ 8
And English: am + nt= ? are I am you are she is we are you are they are I am+n t you are+n t she is+n t we are+n t you are+n t they are+n t are+n t I? are+n t you? is+n t she? are+n t we? are+n t you? are+n t they? am is +n t 9
Why? Maybe because of our logic? e.g. hats: If sunny, then wear a sun hat If cold, then wear a woolly hat But: If both sunny and cold, then ....? e.g. language: too big:They have too big a car. (not: too big car) plural: They have cars (not: a cars). But: too big + plural: They have ....? 10
The amnt gap Similarly: If after I, then: am If before n t, then: are But: if both after I and before n t, then ...? NB This is the frontier of research! So we need good description good arguments good theory 11
Linguistics Description is the method science, not correction Explanation is the goal science, not mere collection Includes: synchrony a statistic snapshot of language diachrony how language changes through time 12
Change: Etymology Etymology = study of historical links between words fascinating! e.g. Online Etymology Dictionary The Oxford English Dictionary online launched by linguists in the 19th century For example, take glamour. 13
The facts 14
A complex history flashy appeal wizardry learning 'writing skill' gramarie means 'corruption' grammar glamour 16
Explanation: wanna Try these after He s the man ... I want to meet. I want to win it. I wanna meet. I wanna win it. Why? Because want to > wanna only where they would normally be together Compare: I want to meet him. > I wanna meet him. I want him to win it. [not: I wanna him win it] 17
So what? Linguistics studies language by describing explaining It studies written and spoken language. It studies words and sentences. It studies sounds, grammar and meaning. It studies all languages and finds great diversity. 18
Diversity: mechanics How do you pronounce these? Put the pizza/pasty in the oven. I saw/see it. What s going on? We insert /r/ to separate vowels when those vowels could historically be separated by /r/. Compare Beja my PhD language 19
Beja: /j/ insertion Spoken in the N-E Sudan, not written tam+ta she ate na+ta she spent the night tam+an I ate na+j+an I spent the night added to separate /a+a/ 20
Diversity: organisation He likes it consists of V - a verb likes S - its subject he O - its object it 6 orders are possible: VSO likes he it VOS likes it he SVO he likes it OVS it likes he SOV he it likes OSV it he likes 21
Word order typology Languages can be classified by preferred word order All possibilities have been found But some are very, very rare: O .. S The most common is .... SOV (e.g. Latin, maybe German) then SVO (e.g. English) then VSO (e.g. Welsh) 22
Diversity: possible messages Accurate translation is impossible because different languages permit different messages e.g. English has gone contrasts with went He has gone to lunch vs He went to lunch. present relevance So languages without this contrast can t express He has gone to lunch . 23
manner of movement direction of movement Verbs of motion Translate into French (or Spanish): He walked into the room Not: Il a march dans la chambre. But: Il est entr dans la chambre (en marchant). manner of movement direction of movement 24
Linguistic relativity Different languages allow different messages. What effect does this have on the way we think? Do we live in different mental worlds? Or do we just communicate differently? 25
Applications of linguistics In IT: predictive texting Google translate Speech therapy Dictionary and grammar writing Language education English, e.g. phonics, grammar Foreign, e.g. course books 26
The difficulty of linguistics Language is complex Arguably, the most complex structure in the universe! So we desperately need a good theory But it s hard to build a theory for such a complex object But the challenge is rewarding. 27
The Linguistics Olympiad The UK Linguistics Olympiad is like the Maths Challenge and Olympiad except that it s all about language Three levels the Advanced level selects winners for Round 2 (residential) the UK team to the International Linguistics Olympiad Here s a sample problem. 28
suffix 'infix' Zooming in on Ulwa -kana = "their" -ni = "our (inc)" -ma = "your (sing)" -mana = "your (plur)" 30
Whats going on in Ulwa? Why does a possessive affix sometimes appear at the end of a word, and sometimes in the middle? The suffix follows the first long syllable VV: diimuih + kana = diikanamuih VVC: gaad + ni = gaadni Otherwise it follows the second syllable CVCV: bilam + kana = bilamkana 31
Why not try it out? Try the Linguistics Olympiad See www.uklo.org for (a lot) more. Try Linguistics for your degree on its own or with other subjects. Linguistics combines the human interest of human language the rigour of mathematics the breadth of area studies the usefulness of engineering the challenge of sudoku and cross-word puzzles. 32
