Properties of Language

• Reflexivity

• Displacement

• Arbitrariness

• Productivity

• Cultural transmission

• Duality

• Discreteness

relationship between linguistic signs and objects;

there is no ‘natural’ connection

the ability to talk about the past/future, about things that aren’t in the same environment or things that don’t even exist

the ability to talk about language itself, which animals are (probably) not able to do

also called open-endedness or creativity; new objects or situations can be described

words can be combined to say things no one’s ever said before

language is organized in 2 levels;

1. distinct sounds

2. disitnct meanings

languages are not inherited, they are learned from other speakers in the same environment

the ability to perceive flow of sounds as made up of discrete units