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Language & Meaning

Language & Meaning. Humans’ accommodations for language Some characteristics of language Some aspects of meaning. We’re mammals. Distinctive traits include Lactation Mammalian “isolation cry” Neoteny Middle ear Larynx. We have special larynxes. Functions Controls airflow Phonates.

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Language & Meaning

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  1. Language & Meaning Humans’ accommodations for language Some characteristics of language Some aspects of meaning English 306A; Harris

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

  3. We have special larynxes • Functions • Controls airflow • Phonates English 306A; Harris

  4. We have special larynxes • Functions • Controls airflow • Phonates(Glottis) English 306A; Harris

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

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

  7. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  18. Elements + combinatorics • At every level • 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

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

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

  21. Everything has meaning. Everything is a sign. English 306A; Harris

  22. Types of signs • Indexical A mode defined by relationship of necessity (especially cause and effect). Prototypically, think fever. • Iconic A mode defined by relationship of resemblance. Prototypically, think picture. • Symbolic A mode defined by relationship of arbitrariness, convention, and learning. Prototypically, think word. English 306A; Harris

  23. Dimensions of signs • Indexicality A semiotic tendency defined by relationship of necessity (esp. cause and effect). • Iconicity A semiotic tendency defined by relationship of resemblance. • Symbolicity A semiotic tendency defined by relationship of arbitrariness, convention, and learning. English 306A; Harris

  24. Bow-wow-pooh-pooh-yo-he-ho theories • Index-to-icon-to-symbol migration theories • Pooh-pooh, Yo-he-ho Index-to-icon-to-symbol • Bow-wow Index-to-icon-to-symbol English 306A; Harris

  25. Metaphor and metonymy • Indirect representation Something (called the vehicle) carries the primary signification for something else (tenor) that ordinarily holds that signification. • Metaphor is iconic The vehicle/tenor relationship is an asserted resemblance: the tenor is said to be like the vehicle in some way. • Metonymy is indexical The vehicle/tenor relationship is (not exactly necessary but) drawn from the same habitat: the tenor is related to the vehicle in some way. English 306A; Harris

  26. Metonymy, metaphor to go tyson to go ballistic COMPARATIVE REPRESENTATIVE English 306A; Harris

  27. Metonymy—The principle of set membership • One element of a set or a relationship (the vehicle) singled out to represent other element(s) (the tenor) • Hollywood loves westerns. • Toronto collapses! • Calgary wins in OT! • All hands on deck. • Thirty head of cattle. English 306A; Harris

  28. Metaphor—The principle of comparison • One element (the vehicle) represents another element (the tenor), to which it is unrelated. • My love is red, red rose. • Homer is a pig. • Toronto is toast. • The table leg is broken. • The orthopedic wing is closed. • Fire kills thousands every year.(Personification) English 306A; Harris

  29. English 306A; Harris

  30. “Pussy” English 306A; Harris

  31. “Pussy” English 306A; Harris

  32. “Pussy” English 306A; Harris

  33. “Pussy” English 306A; Harris

  34. “Pussy” • Metaphor • Tenor = vagina • Vehicle = cat • Attributes • Warm • Furry English 306A; Harris

  35. “Pussy!” Stage 1 ! • Metonymy (synecdoche) • Tenor = woman • Vehicle = pussy-as-vagina • The ultimate devaluing of a (category of a) person: to a small anatomical component. English 306A; Harris

  36. “Pussy!” Stage 2 • Metaphor • Tenor = the insult target • Vehicle = woman (not vagina) • Attributes • Weak • Soft • Quitter • Means ‘Opposite of a man’, but in a wholly evaluative way. = English 306A; Harris

  37. “Pussy”Metaphor Metonymy Metaphor • Indexicality, Iconicity • a relatively mundane example of ordinary language • not a fancy literary or rhetorical device • these processes, and figuration generally, are pervasive English 306A; Harris

  38. We now return you to regular programming F English 306A; Harris

  39. Metonymy, metaphor to go tyson to go ballistic Representation Comparison The picture is metaphoric; the expression isn’t Similarity Association English 306A; Harris

  40. Conceptual metaphors • TIME IS MONEYspend a day, invest three months, bank your overtime, cost me a weekend, … • ARGUMENT IS WARhe attacked my point, I defended it well, she shot me down, I blew her out of the water, … • ANGER IS HEATyou make my blood boil, I was steamed, he has a fiery temper, she's a hothead, … English 306A; Harris

  41. Conceptual metaphors • TIME IS MONEYspend a day, invest three months, bank your overtime, cost me a weekend, … • ARGUMENT IS WARhe attacked my point, I defended it well, she shot me down, I blew her out of the water, … • ANGER IS HEATyou make my blood boil, I was steamed, he has a fiery temper, she's a hothead, … English 306A; Harris

  42. Conceptual metaphors • TIME IS MONEYspend a day, invest three months, bank your overtime, cost me a weekend, … • ARGUMENT IS WARhe attacked my point, I defended it well, she shot me down, I blew her out of the water, … • ANGER IS HEATyou make my blood boil, I was steamed, he has a fiery temper, she's a hothead, … English 306A; Harris

  43. Conceptual metaphors • TIME IS MONEYspend a day, invest three months, bank your overtime, cost me a weekend, … • ARGUMENT IS WARhe attacked my point, I defended it well, she shot me down, I blew her out of the water, … • ANGER IS HEATyou make my blood boil, I was steamed, he has a fiery temper, she's a hothead, … English 306A; Harris

  44. Conceptual Metonymy • PRODUCER FOR PRODUCTI only read Dr. Seuss, she wore Calvin Klein last night, the Wolf Blass has too much tannin, … • CONTAINER FOR CONTAINEDthat’s a tasty dish, the needle was the death of her, he drank the whole bottle, … • PERSON FOR INSTRUMENTI’m parked out back, she’s the lead guitar, he’s the drill press, … • PLACE FOR PEOPLEBC voted conservative, Alberta likes cowboy movies, Thunder Bay is surprisingly liberal, … • PLACE FOR INSTITUTIONOttawa raised our taxes again, Queen’s Park changed the speed limits, … English 306A; Harris

  45. Conceptual Metonymy • PRODUCER FOR PRODUCTI only read Dr. Seuss, she wore Calvin Klein last night, the Wolf Blass has too much tannin, … • CONTAINER FOR CONTAINEDthat’s a tasty dish, the needle was the death of her, he drank the whole bottle, … • PERSON FOR INSTRUMENTI’m parked out back, she’s the lead guitar, he’s the drill press, … • PLACE FOR PEOPLEBC voted conservative, Alberta likes cowboy movies, Thunder Bay is surprisingly liberal, … • PLACE FOR INSTITUTIONOttawa raised our taxes again, Queen’s Park changed the speed limits, … English 306A; Harris

  46. Conceptual Metonymy • PRODUCER FOR PRODUCTI only read Dr. Seuss, she wore Calvin Klein last night, the Wolf Blass has too much tannin, … • CONTAINER FOR CONTAINEDthat’s a tasty dish, the needle was the death of her, he drank the whole bottle, … • PERSON FOR INSTRUMENTI’m parked out back, she’s the lead guitar, he’s the drill press, … • PLACE FOR PEOPLEBC voted conservative, Alberta likes cowboy movies, Thunder Bay is surprisingly liberal, … • PLACE FOR INSTITUTIONOttawa raised our taxes again, Queen’s Park changed the speed limits, … English 306A; Harris

  47. Conceptual Metonymy • PRODUCER FOR PRODUCTI only read Dr. Seuss, she wore Calvin Klein last night, the Wolf Blass has too much tannin, … • CONTAINER FOR CONTAINEDthat’s a tasty dish, the needle was the death of her, he drank the whole bottle, … • PERSON FOR INSTRUMENTI’m parked out back, she’s the lead guitar, he’s the drill press, … • PLACE FOR PEOPLEBC voted conservative, Alberta likes cowboy movies, Thunder Bay is surprisingly liberal, … • PLACE FOR INSTITUTIONOttawa raised our taxes again, Queen’s Park changed the speed limits, … English 306A; Harris

  48. Conceptual Metonymy • PRODUCER FOR PRODUCTI only read Dr. Seuss, she wore Calvin Klein last night, the Wolf Blass has too much tannin, … • CONTAINER FOR CONTAINEDthat’s a tasty dish, the needle was the death of her, he drank the whole bottle, … • PERSON FOR INSTRUMENTI’m parked out back, she’s the lead guitar, he’s the drill press, … • PLACE FOR PEOPLEBC voted conservative, Alberta likes cowboy movies, Thunder Bay is surprisingly liberal, … • PLACE FOR INSTITUTIONOttawa raised our taxes again, Queen’s Park changed the speed limits, … English 306A; Harris

  49. Conceptual Metonymy • PRODUCER FOR PRODUCTI only read Dr. Seuss, she wore Calvin Klein last night, the Wolf Blass has too much tannin, … • CONTAINER FOR CONTAINEDthat’s a tasty dish, the needle was the death of her, he drank the whole bottle, … • PERSON FOR INSTRUMENTI’m parked out back, she’s the lead guitar, he’s the drill press, … • PLACE FOR PEOPLEBC voted conservative, Alberta likes cowboy movies, Thunder Bay is surprisingly liberal, … • PLACE FOR INSTITUTIONOttawa raised our taxes again, Queen’s Parkchanged the speed limits, … English 306A; Harris

  50. Indexicality is metonymic • Defined by association (rather than similarity; often on necessity) There must be a certain physical, temporal, or metaphorical relation between referential objects for the words/expressions to function English 306A; Harris

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