ANT 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Paralanguage, Mutual Intelligibility, Code-Switching
10 Dec 2013
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Document Summary
Language = a system of communication using symbolic sounds, gestures, or marks that are put together according to certain rules, resulting in meanings that are intelligible to all who share that language. Symbols = sounds, gestures, and marks which are arbitrarily linked to something else and represent it in a meaningful way. Signals = instinctive sounds or gestures that have a natural or self-evident meaning (e. g. screams, coughs, sighs, etc. It is currently believed animal communication is accomplished through signals; humans on the other hand use both signals and symbols. There appears to be debate whether certain species use both signals and symbols similar to humans (e. g. bees, elephants, and dolphins) Human culture depends upon an elaborate system of communication; each person must learn a vast quality of knowledge to fully participate within society, hence language is a central part to anthropological study.
