Language is the core of human culture – anthropologists have always put it at the centre of their agenda. So too have many linguists. The amalgam of the two disciplines, anthropological linguistics, aims to document and examine how language mirrors social structure and culture-specific thought patterns. Language, Society, and Culture provides a concrete method for studying the relation between language and society.
Intended for use in introductory-level courses in linguistics that adopt a cultural focus, this text is also suitable for supplementary use in more theoretical linguistics courses. Written in Danesi’s accessible and engaging style, highlighting the fascinating and vital work going on in anthropological linguistics, this book will also appeal to a broad audience of language students, scholars, and enthusiasts.
1. What Is Language?
Defining Language
Language and Speech
Learning to Speak
Language and Society
Language and Culture
2. Studying Language The Scientific Approach to Language
Anthropoligical Linguistics
Linguistic Analysis
Language, Mind, and Culture
Language, Discourse, and Variation
3. The Origin and Evolution of Language Theories
Reconstruction
Core Vocabularies
Language Change
Primate Language Experiments
4. Language Levels Describing Language
The Phonological Level
The Morphological Level
The Syntactic Level
The Semantic Level
PART II: LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY
5. Language and Social Phenomena
Language and Gender
Markedness Theory
Language and Style
Naming People
Artificial Languages
6. Using Language Conversational Devices
Speech Acts
Situational Focusing
Language Functions
Language and Myth
7. Writing Writing Systems
Literacy
Abbreviated Writing
Online Communication
8. Variation Variant Types
Slang
Jargon
Borrowing
PART III: LANGUAGE, MIND, AND CULTURE
9. Language and Classification
Classification
The Whorfian Hypothesis
Specialized Vocabularies
Made-up Languages
10. Language and Concepts Sound Symbolism
Words and Concepts
Anthropomorphism
Grammar and Thought
11. Metaphor What Is Metaphor?
Conceptual Metaphors
Metonymy and Irony
Metaphor and Gesture
Cultural Reifications
12. Pop Language What Is Pop Language?
Hip Talk
Hip Talk and Gender
Concluding Remarks
Glossary of Technical Terms
Bibliography
Index
Biography
Marcel Danesi is Professor of Semiotics and Linguistic Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto. His main research interests are semiotic theory and youth culture. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Semiotica, the official journal of the International Association for Semiotic Studies.
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