What is LANGUAGE?

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                     The notion of language is distinct for everyone: while some anchor their definition on solely linguistic bases, noting lexical or phonological features, others may see cultural, social, or economic factors as being primary. Some people strongly argue that language is not simply a set of rules and grammar; it is the originality and uniqueness of a nation.  For some people language is more than that; it is a complex system of gestures and signs which is known to us as a sign language.

     First and foremost, it is necessary to make clear how language is distinct from animal communication. Some people argue that humans are not unique in possessing language. For example, bees use ‘dances’ when they want to send a particular message to each other. However, Hockett (1967) presented seven fundamental features showing how human language is different from that of animals and revealing its uniqueness: “duality of pattern, productivity, arbitrariness, specialization, displacement, and cultural transmission” (p. 574). An interesting view was also proposed by Chomsky (1988), designating language as a ‘language organ’.  He supposed that language is a unique entity; it keeps its own originality without being developed from other communication systems.

      Interestingly, some people bring cultural aspects to the forefront when they define language. For example, Fishman (1991) demonstrates close ties between language and culture by proposing three links. First, “a language indexes its language” (as cited in Baker, 2001, p. 74) means that two notions can develop independently but in harmony with each other. Considering the second one – “a language symbolizes its culture” (p. 74), Fishman shows a brilliant example of the German language which was associated as language-enemy during World War II. Regarding the third link, “culture is partly created from its language” (p. 75), the author implies all literal heritages – songs, greetings, proverbs, etc. creates partly a culture.

     Speaking about languages, one should also think about dialects. If considering language as standard, dialects then are language variations, which vary in some phonologic, lexical, syntactic or grammatical features. In my understanding, if I were asked if dialect could be a language, I would answer yes. Here, I underpin Weinreich’s idea about the political difference between language and dialect by saying that “a language is a dialect that has an army and navy”.

     Sign language could be another evidence of language uniqueness. Even if sign language does not have sounds, modern linguists have found it a brilliant example of a language system. Its difficulty is in written representation on  paper. Fant (1977) points out that “one of the major problems is finding a way to incorporate those aspects of facial expression that contribute to the message” (as cited in Yule, 2010, p. 206).

      Language is proven to be a multifaceted phenomenon as there is a myriad of definitions and interpretations. Some see subtle distinctions between dialect and language. Some try to draw an analogy between animal communication and human language. Some bind language to culture. Some mention sign languages as a bright example of language uniqueness.

And what is your interpretation of language? How do you define language?  

Reference

Baker, C. (2001). Chapter 4: language revival and revitalization. In C. Baker, Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (3^rd Ed.) (pp.68-83). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Chomsky, N. (1988). Language and problems of knowledge: The Managua lectures. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Hockett, Ch. (1967). A course in modern linguistics (12th ed.).New York: The Macmillan Company and Canada: Collier-Macmillan Ltd.

Yule, G. (2010). The study of language (4^th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.