Contents

Nature and Functions of Language..............................................................................................2

1.0 Introduction.............................................................................................................................2

2.0 Properties of Language........................................................................................................2

2.0.1 Displacement...................................................................................................................2

2.0.2 Arbitrariness....................................................................................................................2

2.0.3 Discreteness....................................................................................................................3

2.0.4 Duality................................................................................................................................3

2.0.5 Cultural Transmission...................................................................................................3

2.0.6 Productivity......................................................................................................................4

3.0 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................4

References.............................................................................................................................................5
 Nature and Functions of Language

1.0 Introduction

In Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus (2008), stated that ‘language is the system of

communication in speech and writing that is used by people of a particular country’.
Language is considered as a social phenomenon since it is only important to a
sociological trend.

2.0 Properties of Language

Linguists have identified six main properties of language which are arbitrariness,
cultural transmission, discreteness, displacement, duality, and productivity.

2.0.1 Displacement
Language displacement refers to the ability of human language to socialize over time
and across space. Language is essentially an interaction between stimulus and response in
animals. The meaning transmitted by the language of animals only works in context. When a
dog barks, it is in response to whatever caused the barking only at the moment. Language
often helps us to think and talk about something or someone who is not present now. For
instance, we can talk about our future. Similarly, even though it has passed, we can mention
last night's football game. The words such as ‘yesterday’, ‘just now’, ‘tomorrow’ and ‘will’
shows that human language does have the property of displacement.

2.0.2 Arbitrariness
The symbol of language, in general, are words. However, the range of symbols used
by a language is said to be arbitrary. This is because a specific word and its meaning have
no direct correlation. For example, the word "dog" has been agreed in English-speaking
society to refer to the four-legged animal with distinct features, but the word "dog" used for a
person in Urdu-speaking community society shows his nature who has done something
wrong or committed a crime.

Arbitrariness is a helpful property because it improves language versatility. The

versatility exists because the need to fit the shape of a word and its context does not
constrain language. Because of this, from a limited collection of speech sounds, it is possible
to create an almost infinite number of words.

There are certain English words that tend to be less arbitrary than others, since
having made the argument that linguistic symbols are arbitrary. These are onomatopoeic
words: words that mimic the sound associated with an object or an event. The bees were
buzzing in the utterance, for example, with the word buzzing sounds similar to the noise
bees make.

2.0.3 Discreteness
The fact that human language is composed of sets of distinct sounds is characterized
by discreteness in language. One sound alone can convey one meaning, multiple sounds
mixed in a specific order convey another meaning. There is a particular meaning to even
repetitive sounds. A shift in the sense of a signal is induced by exchanging certain discrete
units. For example, the word cat consists of three units which are c/a/t. If the letter ‘c’ is shifts
with letter ‘b’, it will cause an abrupt change in the meaning. Bat is a mammal of the order
Chiroptera meanwhile cat is a species of F.catus.

2.0.4 Duality
Language appears to be organized at least at two levels which are primary level
consisting of the units and the secondary level consisting of the elements. In order to form
the units of the primary level, the elements of the secondary level are merge together. We
should consider the components of verbal language to be speech sounds as consonants
and vowels. At the primary level, these speech sounds then combine to form units. For
example, the word cat is formed by the combination of three speech sounds which are the
consonant ‘c’, the vowel ‘a’ and the consonant ‘t’. It is meaningless if the consonant ‘c’ is
pronounce alone. It is only when these components of the secondary level are consistently
combined that they have the chance to express significance.

2.0.5 Cultural Transmission

Language is the medium by which human beings will teach what they have learned
to date to the next generation. If we did not have the ability to use language, then
transferring our information and experiences to the next generation of people would be
largely impossible, and each successive generation would have to start anew.
 Humans are not born in the way that birds or lions are, with an innate understanding
of communication. We must learn how to communicate with others using language, along
with other elements of culture. To a lesser extent, it is taught when parents, for instance,
intentionally encourage their kids to speak and respond to conversation, correct their
mistakes, and broaden their vocabulary. But it must be stressed that through "grammar
building," children learn their first language quite much through exposure to a random set of
utterances that they encounter.

2.0.6 Productivity
To produce new expressions and new sentences, language users manipulate their
linguistic resources. This human language property is known as competitiveness or
imagination. It is an aspect of language related to the fact that in any human language, the
potential number of utterances is infinite. On the other hand, all animal signals have a
function called a fixed reference, indicating that each signal is fixed as it relates to a specific
object or occasion. Animals respond to the stimuli in predictable ways. For example, a cold
weather and reduced daylight hours will stimulate the ground squirrel to hibernate. This
behavior is said to be stimulus bound. In short, we can predict animal’s subsequent behavior
towards certain stimulus.

Animal language and human language is totally different. We cannot expect how a
person will responds towards a situation. For instance, if three people were all shown a
painting of a scenery, there is no guarantee that each one of them would utter the same
words. There is no way of predicting what they will say.

Language is said to be stimulus-free in this context, and this explains why humans
can use language creatively. Language is, therefore, versatile. Internet slangs can be one of
the example of productivity of language in modern era.

3.0 Conclusion
The most important instrument of communication invented by human culture is
language. Language allows us to express our ideas and to understand others. It is
impossible to overestimate the value of language in our lives. We do it with a specific intent
every time we talk. We want to send a message often, or convey our emotions.
References

"What are the properties of language? " eNotes Editorial, 18 June 2016,
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-properties-language-731445. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.