AnthropologicalLinguistic

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□ Introduction
□ Branches
□ Theories
□ Aims
□ Conclusion

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• Linguistics is the science of language. It deals with the study of
human language (Bauer, 2 0 0 7 : 1 1 ) .

• According to Hannerz, \\Anthropology is the science of humanity

which studies human being in aspects of society and culture.

• " Thus, Anthropological Linguistics is the study of how language

is used in everyday life and how it is integrated into the various
cultures around the world (Rowe, 2 0 0 6 : 2 1 1 ) .

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Anthropologists are keenly interested in language use,
structure, and change, and the relations among language,
society and culture.

The study includes

□speech communities
□the performing of
language
□language socialization
□power in language.

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• Speech Community:
A group of people who share simil ar ideas, uses and norms of
language.

• Performing of Language:
The performing of language can be separated to the following.

• Conversation as a cult ur e
• Gesture

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• Language Socialization:
The process of getting socialized through language and the process
of getting socialized to language.
• Power in Language:
Language plays a crucial role in mediating differences in power
between speakers. There are five levels of language ideologies:

• Group or individual interests

• Multiplicity of ideologies
• Awareness of speakers
• Mediating functions of ideologies
• Role of language ideology in identity construction

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Branches of Anthropological Linguistics c'
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Following are the branches of anthropological linguistics:

• Descriptive linguistics
• Historical linguistics
• Ethnolinguistics
• Sociolinguistics

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■Descriptive (Synchronic) linguistics:

Describes dialects (forms of a language used by a specific speech
community).

Descriptive linguistic is the work, of objectively analyzing and describing

how language is spoken (or how it was spoken in past) by a group of
people in speech community.

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■ Historical (Diachronic) linguistics:

Describes changes in dialects and languages over time.

According to Brian D. Joseph defines Historical linguistics is the branch

of linguistics that is concerned with language change in general and
with specific changes in languages, and in particular.
• With describing them.
• With cataloging them.
• And ultimately with explaining them.

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■ Ethnolinguistics:
Ethnolinguistic is a field of linguistics which studies the relationship between
language and culture, and the way different ethnic groups perceive the world. It
is the combination between ethnology and lin guistics.

Ethno linguists study the way perception and conceptualization influences

language, and show how this is linked to different cultures and societies.

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• Sociolinguistics:
Socio ling uist ics is the study of relat io n of lang ua ge with society
and the way lang ua ge is use d.

Socio ling uist ics is the study of effect of the society on the lang ua ge,
while the latt er's focus is on the lang ua ge's effect on the so ciet y.

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Theories of Anthropological Linguist ics c'

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■ FRANZ BOAS's Theory

■ EDWARD SAPIR's Theory

■ Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

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■ Franz Boas was an anthropologist whose main work was devoted to
prove the inexistence of some racist interpretations regarding language,
thought and culture. He affirmed that all human beings were essentially
equal.

• He claimed that language might facilitate certain type of thinking and

would provide elements to understand some unconscious patterns of
culture and thought, but it would not prevent people from developing
certain advanced ways of thinking.

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• He was an American anthropologist-linguist, who is considered one of
the most important figures in the early development of the discipline of
linguistics. He was a student of Boas and he worked upon his teacher's
theories, but he also developed his own theories.

• Sapir pointed out a strong influence of language on thought and culture.

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The most interesting theory about language and culture came from
Benjamin Lee Whorf and Edw ar d Sapir. The theory is called Whorfian
hypothesis or the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. It is also called the theory of
linguistic relativity.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis can be divided into two

components:
o Linguist ic
Determinism
o Linguistic Relat iv it y
Expression of thoughts
Cultural determinism
of language

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• Expression of Thoughts:
• Happiness:

Happiness is an emotion that is

associated with a state of mind t hat
reflects satisfaction, pleasure or joy.

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• Sadness:

Sadness is an emot io na l pain

associated with, or characterized by,
feeling s of disadvantage, loss,
despair, grief,
hel ple ss ness,
disappointment and sorrow.

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• Surprise:

Surprise is an emotion that is

associated with a brief state of being.
This brief state of being is invoked by
an unexpected, relevant event .

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• Anger:

Anger is an emotion that is

associated within the range of minor
irritation to intense rage.

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• Cultural determinism of language
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• Language expresses cultural realit y:,-c::;; ·
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• Words express facts, ideas or events
t h a t a r e communicable.
• Words reflect attitudes, beliefs
and point of view.

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• Language embodies cultural reality:
• The (spoken, written o r visual) medium
people choose to communicate with
o n e another create meanings that are
understandable
to the group they belong to.

• Language symbolizes cultural realit

• Language is viewed as a
symbol of social identity.

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Aims of Anthropological Linguist ics c'

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The aims of anthropological linguistics, as described by Dell Hymes are as

follows:

□ Evaluation of differences and similarities among languages.

□ The significance of linguistic patterns for the basic outlook of people (i.e.
their world view).

□The relation between people's vocabulary and their other interests.

□ How speaking enters into norms of interaction among persons.

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Aims of Anthropological Linguist ics c'

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□How the motives of play and art are manifested linguistically.

□The relation between levels or varieties of speech on the one hand
in types of community and their boundaries on the other.

□ How social factors enter into linguistic change.

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Linguistic anthropology examines language through the lenses of
anthropological concerns. The concerns include the transmission and
reproduction of culture, the relationship between cultural systems
and different forms of social organization, and the role of the
material conditions of existence in a people's understanding of the
world.

So, the relationship between the environment, the

culture, and the language of a people is self-reinforcing.

Monday, December 28, 2020