Features of Language / Aspects / Properties of Language

What is language? Discuss the features of language | aspects of language | properties of language | characteristics of language | Try.Fulfill

Discuss the features /aspects / properties of language

Features of Language, Aspects of Language, Properties of Language - Short Ans:

(Short points: Definition, vocal, social phenomena,non-instinctive,arbitrary,human,unique,systematic,duality,meanings,creativity.)

Definition:

Language is a system of conventional, spoken or written symbols by means of which human beings in it's culture communicate.

The features of language are given below:

Vocal:

Language is an organization of sounds and vocal symbols. It also means that speech is primary to writing. There are several languages in the world which have no writing systems, yet they are languages because they are spoken. Language is vocal. It is made up of sounds which can be produced by the organs of speech.

Social phenomenon:

Language is a set of communicative signals used by humans for communication in a community. It is a possession of a social group, comprising a set of rules which permits it's member to relate with each other, to interact with each other, to cooperate with each other. It's a social institution, is a means of nourishing and developing culture and establishes human relations.

Non-instinctive:

Like all human institutions, languages also change and die, grow and expand. It is non-instinctive because it is acquired by human beings. None gets a language in heritage; he/she acquires it. He/she possesses an innate ability.

Arbitrary:

There is no natural connection between linguistic form and it's meaning. There is no reason why a female adult is called 'woman' in English and 'Mohila' in Bengali. Similarly, why four legged animals should be called 'Dog' in English and 'Kukur' in Bengali.

Human:

Only human has been endowed() with language. Animals cannot acquire human language because of it's complex structure and their physical inadequacies(). Animals do not have the type of brain which the human beings possess.

Unique:

Despite common features and language universals, each language has it's distinct features.

Systematic:

Though language is symbolic, it's symbols are arranged in a particular system. Every language is a system of systems. All languages have phonological, morphological, syntactic systems. Within a system, there are several sub-systems.

Duality:

Language is organized on two levels. One is physical level and another is meaning level. Physical level produces individual sounds and meaning level produces combined sounds.

Meanings:

Language carries meaning. All the words, phrases and sentences have meanings.

Creativity:

Language has creativity and productivity. Human can produce new utterances. Language changes according to the needs of society.

Features of Language, Aspects of Language, Properties of Language – Long Answer:

As language is defined as a system of expressing feelings and thought, it contains several features. The features of language are: it is arbitrary, systematic, human, non-instinctive, vocal, articulatory, conventional, social phenomenon, culture-related, changing, means of communication, complex, natural, creative, shared phenomenon, oral and auditory, habitual etcetera.

Features of language – Arbitrariness:

The linguistic form and the meaning of a language don’t have any relation, in this sense, language is arbitrary. A word that means a particular thing is arbitrary. For arbitrariness, different language describes the same thing with different words. If language would lack arbitrariness, there would be only one language in the world.

> Linguistics Bangla Lectures..

Examples of Arbitrariness:

Example 1: Female adult is called ‘Women’ in English, ‘Mohila’ in Bengali, ‘Aurat’ in Urdu, ‘Zen’ in Persian.

Example 2: Four legged animal is called ‘Dog’ in English, ‘Kukur’ in Bengali.

Example 3: Written and joined pages are called ‘Book’ in English, ‘Boi’ in Bengali, ‘Kitab’ in Arabic.

Aspects of Language – Social:

Language is emerged and used to communicate in society. It is a possession of a particular social group. Language also has distinct set of rules. By means of language, people can relate with each other, they can interact and cooperate with each other in the society. In society, language enriches culture and build relationships among its members.

Characteristics of language – Vocal:

Speech is primary in language. And speech is made of several vocal sounds. These vocal sounds are articulated by physiological articulatory mechanism inside human body. When language emerged, it was only vocal. By the passage of time, written form of language was invented. So, speech is primary to writing.

Properties of language- Symbolic:

The sounds which comprise a language have symbolic forms. Their graphological forms are chosen, accepted and employed. The sound symbols are used as ‘Letters’ and they comprise words. Furthermore, these symbols have meaning. So, a language is interpreted by symbols in written form. For that, language is symbolic.

Aspects of Language – Creative:

Language is not a stable phenomenon. It is changeable. The structural elements of a language can produce new utterances. For the needs of society, language changes and reshapes with new vocabulary and speaking forms. For this creativity, language is also characterized by conventional feature. It grows and expands as well as changes and dies.

These are the major features / aspects or characteristics of language.