Exam 1 Study Guide Outline
Linguistic Anthropology
● Linguistic Anthropology: The study of language from an anthropological
perspective
● Anthropology: the study of all people at all times and in all places
○ Characteristics of anthropology
■ Anthropology is Holistic: Characterized by seeing the whole picture
● Physical/Biological Anthropology
● Archaeology
● Cultural Anthropology
● Linguistic Anthropology
■ Anthropology is comparative: Gathering information from many
cultures, times, and places to discover possible underlying similarities
and differences
● Cultural relativity: Differences exist amongst cultural systems
and it is possible to lean to understand them
● Ethnocentrism: not understanding different systems on their
own terms
■ Anthropology is Fieldwork-Based:
● Fieldwork: gathering information by living in another culture
and learning the language from its speakers, adapting and
adjusting to learn the language and culture as an “insider”
● Introduced by Franz Boas
○ Anthropology and Ethics: anthropologists must be attentive to how their
presence, writings, etc might endanger the people who are hosting them
● Theoretical Linguistics: The study of a language from a structural point of view,
without attention to cultural contexts of language use
○ Describing the structure of a language
The Design Features of Language
● Communication: sending and receiving signals and evoking a response
● The Features of language were identified by Charles F. Hockett
● The Vocal-Auditory Channel: The use of speaking and hearing as key features of
language
● Broadcast Transmission and Directional Reception: the sounds of human
language are sent out in all directions but that listeners perceive those sounds as
coming from a specific direction
● Rapid Fading/Transitoriness: language signals do not last long
● Interchangeability: the fact that a speaker can send and receive the same signal
● Total Feedback: speakers can hear themselves talk and motor what they say as
they say it
● Specialization: language sounds are specialized for communication
● Semanticity: specific sound signals can be directly linked to specific meanings
● Arbitrariness: there is no necessary or causal relationship between a signal and tis
meaning
Linguistic Anthropology
● Linguistic Anthropology: The study of language from an anthropological
perspective
● Anthropology: the study of all people at all times and in all places
○ Characteristics of anthropology
■ Anthropology is Holistic: Characterized by seeing the whole picture
● Physical/Biological Anthropology
● Archaeology
● Cultural Anthropology
● Linguistic Anthropology
■ Anthropology is comparative: Gathering information from many
cultures, times, and places to discover possible underlying similarities
and differences
● Cultural relativity: Differences exist amongst cultural systems
and it is possible to lean to understand them
● Ethnocentrism: not understanding different systems on their
own terms
■ Anthropology is Fieldwork-Based:
● Fieldwork: gathering information by living in another culture
and learning the language from its speakers, adapting and
adjusting to learn the language and culture as an “insider”
● Introduced by Franz Boas
○ Anthropology and Ethics: anthropologists must be attentive to how their
presence, writings, etc might endanger the people who are hosting them
● Theoretical Linguistics: The study of a language from a structural point of view,
without attention to cultural contexts of language use
○ Describing the structure of a language
The Design Features of Language
● Communication: sending and receiving signals and evoking a response
● The Features of language were identified by Charles F. Hockett
● The Vocal-Auditory Channel: The use of speaking and hearing as key features of
language
● Broadcast Transmission and Directional Reception: the sounds of human
language are sent out in all directions but that listeners perceive those sounds as
coming from a specific direction
● Rapid Fading/Transitoriness: language signals do not last long
● Interchangeability: the fact that a speaker can send and receive the same signal
● Total Feedback: speakers can hear themselves talk and motor what they say as
they say it
● Specialization: language sounds are specialized for communication
● Semanticity: specific sound signals can be directly linked to specific meanings
● Arbitrariness: there is no necessary or causal relationship between a signal and tis
meaning
