Fundamentals of Linguistics: Signs, Structure, and Sentence Types

Core Concepts of Communication and Language

Key Linguistic Definitions

• Language Skills: The ability to establish communication. This process is often described in three phases:
  • Symptoms: The need to attract attention by making sounds.
  • Manifestation: The need to demonstrate meaning.
  • Code: Establishing conventions (calling things one way).
• Language (Langue): The demonstration of a system of signs, where all elements depend on each other. Language is available to all members of a community.
• Speech (Parole): The individual act or job that every individual makes of language.
• Sign: A material object representing another concept. It is formed by two components:
  • Signifier: The word (the acoustic image).
  • Signified: The mental image (the concept).

Classification of Signs and Semiology

The science of signs is called Semiology.

Classes of Signs

• Natural Signs: Those that occur naturally (e.g., smoke).
• Artificial Signs: Those created by man, divided into:
  • Languages:
    • Fundamental (e.g., natural tongue/spoken language).
    • Assistants (e.g., Braille).
  • Non-Linguistic Signs:
    • Signs: (e.g., traffic signs).
    • Icons: Signs where the signifier and signified are similar (e.g., a photograph).
    • Symbols: Signs with no similarity; meaning is based purely on agreement/convention.

Other Communication Systems

Human communication relies on signs, but other communication systems exist:

1. Olfactory System.
2. Gustatory System.
3. Auditory System (Sonoro).
4. Tactile System (e.g., Braille).
5. Visual System (e.g., signals, costumes).
6. Gesture System (e.g., sign language for the deaf).

Structural Levels of Language

Language structure is typically analyzed across four levels: Phonological, Semantic, Syntactic, and Morphological.

Phonological Level

• The Spanish phonological system consists of 19 phonemes (a linguistic unit without meaning).
• A phoneme is the mental image of a sound.
• There are phonemes that are represented by two or more letters (e.g., /b/).

Morphological Level

• This level studies morphemes (the smallest meaningful grammatical linguistic unit).
• Morphemes are classified into two main classes:
  • Lexeme: The core, meaningful part.
  • Morpheme: The grammatical part.
• Morphemes are further classified by meaning:
  • Independent: Those that have meaning by themselves (e.g., conjunctions).
  • Dependent: Those associated with a lexeme (e.g., Affixes like prefixes, and Endings like verb morphemes).

Sentence Classification by Speaker Attitude

Sentences are classified according to the speaker's intention or attitude. We can distinguish types that:

1. Express a feeling.
2. Show a desire.
3. Express probability or doubt.
4. State objective facts.

Types of Sentences

• Exclamatory: Expresses the emotion of the speaker. These can be proper or improper (analytical).
• Optative: Expresses wishes, prayers, or orders.
• Hesitant: Expresses doubt, often through attenuated questions.
• Declarative (Statements): Respond to the representative function of language. They can be Affirmative or Negative.