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What is language?
The term Language can be defined in different ways as follows:
Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols and signs that are conventionally used for human communication
OR
Language is the conventional system of arbitrary vocal symbols used by human beings for communication
Language is defined a rule-governed system for human communication. The traditional areas of linguistic inquire are phonology (sound system), morphology (word formation), syntax (word order), semantics (meaning), and lexicon (vocabulary)
LANGUAGE AND A LANGUAGE
Linguistically language refers to a conventional system of arbitrary vocal symbols used by human beings for communication.
So here the word language is generic i.e. so general observing the general universal characteristics of language
But a language refers to a specific language used by certain people e.g. Pare, Kurya, English etc.
A LANGUAGE / A COMMUNITY LANGUAGE
A language is a specific from (system) of speech which is conventional and mutually understood by a specific speech community i.e. it refers to one particular language as used and spoken by a particular community.
The speech community can be ethnic group, a tribe, a nation or even the whole continent for example Kichagga is a language of chagga people of Kilimanjaro region, Kingoni a language of ngoni as a tribe,Swahili a language of Tanzania as a nation, English a language of Europe, America and Australia as continents.
Features of a Language
A language has several features or characteristics:-
1. It is a specific concept referring to one particular form of speech (system of communication) that is mutually used and understood by a particular speech community.
2. A language is used to express the culture of a particular speech community i.e. a language is the central element of a particular culture hence a language and culture are inseparable.
3. A language changes and develops with the change and development of culture i.e. dynamism of a language is usually influenced by culture.
4. A language can also change on contact with the foreigners through different activities such as trade, tours, colonial domination etc.
5. A language usually may have script (forms or spellings) different from other languages i.e. each language has different orthography spellings.
6. A language may have phonological and grammatical systems (pronunciation and structure) different from other languages.
7. A language may belong to a group with other languages which stem from the same ancient language for example Kiswahili, Kisukuma, Kihaya, Kinyakyusa etc are among the Bantu languages hence each language belongs to Bantu language.
THE BASIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND A LANGUAGE
1. LANGUAGE Is a universal concept i.e. it refers to all language in the world as used by human beings.
While
A LANGUAGE: – Is a specific concept i.e. it refers to only one particular system of Communication that is used by a particular speech community.
2. Language does not belong to a particular speech community i.e. It doesn’t have any specific group of people who regard it as their own it belongs to all human beings in general.
While
A Language belongs to a particular speech community that uses it as the means of communication among themselves. I.e. a language is owned by a particular speech community e.g. English by the British, French by the French etc.
3. Language has no link with the culture of a particular community i.e. it cannot be used to express the culture of one particular speech community.
While
A language has a direct link with the culture of a particular speech community that uses it i.e. Each particular language is used to express the culture of the people who uses that particular language e.g. English for the English culture, Swahili for the Swahili culture etc.
4. Language is static i.e. It doesn’t change with the change of culture and contact with foreigners.
While
A language is dynamic as it usually changes and develops with the change of culture as well as the contact with foreigners.
The Origin Of Language – English Language 1 Notes Form 5 & 6
THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE
The question of when and how language emerged has been debatable but at least there are some theories given by linguists to suggest the origin of language.
Among the theories are:
1. The Bow- Wow Theory
This suggests that language began by people imitation of sounds of animals and nature around
This led to emergence of onomatopoeic words like moo, mew, roar etc. as evidence.
- The weakness here is that not all words are onomatopoeia (i.e. result from sound imitation)
2. The Pooh Pooh Theory
This argues that language developed from cries of pain, rages etc. as expression of strong feelings
- This theory does not explain how the complex organization of language developed.
3. The Yo-he-ho Theory
This explains that the language arose as outcome of noises which people made while doing their physical labour.
For instance when lifting a big log they produced sounds calling for the effort and gradually true words like up, let’s go, lift, emerged.
What is convincing here is that language resulted from the need to organize society and communication. So that might have been the early forms (the noises).
4. The Ding Dong Theory
This argues that early man’s mental makeup was such that a sound representation was registered whenever mental process encountered any experience.
So what was registered in the minds of the early people was coded into sounds.
This theory fails to explain how the complex organised language developed.
5. The Gestural Theory (The Ta-ta Theory)
This suggests gesture to be the origin of language. That in the beginning man used gestures (eg hands) to communicate but later on when man started to use tools. His hands were unfree for communication and so speech unconsciously replaced those gestures.
KNOWING A LANGUAGE
Knowing a language means that one posses linguistic knowledge of it.
This includes:
1. Knowing its sound system (phonology)
One should able to speak correctly and also understand the sounds produced by other members using that language.
2. Knowing its vocabulary (lexicons)
People speak in sequence of sounds in acceptable combinations that are meaningful. So one has to know the words used in a language and their meanings.
3. Knowing how to organize words to form sentences
A sentence is not formed by putting words anyhow. The words are organised in rules that are acceptable and one should know them.
- You are an excellent teacher.
- An teacher you excellent are.
- Here the second sentence is incorrect.
- Knowing language therefore involves knowing its sounds (phonemes), the rules of forming words and their meanings and the rules of forming sentences.
