Summary
Highlights
This lecture series is designed to help students aspiring to become English lecturers understand Linguistics in a comprehensive yet simple manner. It addresses fundamental concepts often tested in examinations like PPSC, FPSC, and CSS, ensuring students are well-prepared for their lecturer placement tests.
Linguistics is derived from the Latin word 'lingua,' meaning 'tongue,' combined with 'istics' which refers to knowledge or science. Therefore, Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It is also defined as the study of human language and its relation to universal human behavior and faculties, according to Noam Chomsky.
The term 'Linguistics' was first attested in 1847. Before this, the scientific study of language was referred to as 'Philology,' meaning 'deep love for language.' This transition from philology to linguistics signifies a shift towards a more scientific approach to studying language.
Language is defined as a system of symbols used for encoding and decoding information. Encoding involves transforming messages into symbols or signs for effective communication, such as using letters and words to convey a thought. Decoding is the process of understanding the meaning of these encoded symbols or words.
Linguistics encompasses several important areas of study. These include Phonetics (the study of speech sounds), Phonology (the study of sound patterns in a particular language), Morphology (the study of words and their formation), Syntax (the study of sentences), Semantics (the study of meaning), and Pragmatics (the study of language use in communication).