ANTH 2100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Animal Communication, Cultural Learning, Enculturation
Document Summary
Language is humans" best known means of info storage, processing, and retrieval. During enculturation, children learn through language and observation. Ability to use language has biological base. Morphology: system for creating words from sounds. Syntax: system of rules for combining words into meaningful sentences. Semantics: system for relating words to meanings. Some animal communication systems contain some of these characteristics, but only human language contains all of them. Conventionality or arbitrariness: words stand for something because speakers of language agree that they do. Humans can separate the vocal symbol from its referent - something absent in all other animals" call systems. Humans create new combos never heard before. Openness and flexibility: infinite number of sentences can be created by humans. Communicate about something not in the immediate environment. Hypotheticals (subjunctive and imperative moods in other languages, communicate something not immediately real) Animal sounds are only about something present. Storage of experience that can be transmitted to new members.
