Chapter 1 What is language? - UiO

Chapter 1: What is language? Chapter 1. What is language? This book is an introduction to the study of human language across the planet. It is concerned with the immense variety among the languages of the world, as well as the common traits that cut across the differences. The book presents a number of analytic tools for comparing and contrasting different languages, and for seeing any one particular language in a larger linguistic perspective. The book attempts to avoid eurocentrism, the excessive focus on European languages often found in introductions to linguistics. Although, for ease of presentation, examples are often drawn from English, a large variety of languages from all continents are drawn into the discussion whenever this helps to broaden our perspective. This global focus is reflected in the choice of topics. Apart from a Chapter introducing the four traditional branches of linguistics (semantics, syntax, morphology and phonology), this book is primarily interested in the following seemingly simple questions: 1.

The book presents a number of analytic tools for comparing and contrasting different languages, and for seeing any one ... reconstruction, oral tradition, and archeology. 7.2.1.1 WRITING In many parts of the world – France, India, Zimbabwe, and elsewhere – cave

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