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General and Descriptive

General Linguistics is the comprehensive study of language, focusing on its structure, usage, and universal principles, while Descriptive Linguistics specifically analyzes and documents the features of individual languages or dialects. Both fields are essential for understanding language diversity, with General Linguistics providing theoretical frameworks and Descriptive Linguistics emphasizing empirical data. Their methodologies and objectives differ, with General Linguistics being more abstract and comparative, and Descriptive Linguistics being fieldwork-based and focused on actual language use.

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474 views2 pages

General and Descriptive

General Linguistics is the comprehensive study of language, focusing on its structure, usage, and universal principles, while Descriptive Linguistics specifically analyzes and documents the features of individual languages or dialects. Both fields are essential for understanding language diversity, with General Linguistics providing theoretical frameworks and Descriptive Linguistics emphasizing empirical data. Their methodologies and objectives differ, with General Linguistics being more abstract and comparative, and Descriptive Linguistics being fieldwork-based and focused on actual language use.

Uploaded by

Umme ruman Wattoo
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© © All Rights Reserved
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General Linguistics

Definition:

General Linguistics is the broad study of language as a human faculty. It encompasses the
scientific analysis of all aspects of language, including its structure (phonology, morphology,
syntax, semantics), usage, development, variation, and change. It seeks to uncover the universal
principles underlying all human languages.

Examples:

 Studying how subject-verb-object (SVO) order appears in English but subject-object-verb


(SOV) is more common globally (e.g., in Japanese or Turkish).
 Comparing how languages express tense, like English ("I go" vs "I went") versus
Chinese, which often uses time adverbs without changing the verb.

Importance:

 Universal Understanding: Provides a foundation for understanding all human languages


and their similarities and differences.
 Interdisciplinary Links: Connects with psychology (psycholinguistics), anthropology
(language and culture), computer science (computational linguistics), etc.
 Language Preservation: Helps document endangered languages and understand their
structure.
 Theoretical Development: Aids in developing models like Noam Chomsky’s Universal
Grammar (Chomsky, 1965).

Descriptive Linguistics
Definition:

Descriptive Linguistics is a subfield of linguistics focused on objectively analyzing and


describing the features of a specific language or dialect at a particular point in time. It does not
prescribe rules but documents what native speakers actually say.

Examples:

 Documenting the grammar and sound system of an indigenous language with no written
form, like Ainu or Cherokee.
 Analyzing regional varieties of English (e.g., African American Vernacular English) and
describing their syntax and phonology.
Importance:

 Language Documentation: Essential for recording and preserving lesser-known or


endangered languages.
 Cultural Insights: Reveals the worldview and cognition of a speech community.
 Foundation for Language Teaching and Translation: Accurate descriptions support
curriculum design and lexicography.
 Linguistic Typology and Comparison: Contributes to databases that compare features
across languages.

Categorical Differentiation between General and Descriptive


Linguistics
Category General Linguistics Descriptive Linguistics
Broad and theoretical; covers all Focused on describing specific
Scope
aspects of language languages or dialects
Understand universal principles Describe actual usage in a specific
Objective
and theories of language community
Approach Often comparative and abstract Empirical and fieldwork-based
Universal Grammar, language Describing Zulu noun classes, Navajo
Examples
typology verb morphology
Language theory, language Language documentation,
Applications
acquisition, AI/NLP sociolinguistics, dialect studies
Combines theoretical frameworks Field recordings, phonetic transcription,
Methodology
with cross-linguistic data native speaker elicitation
Foundational Ferdinand de Saussure, Noam
Franz Boas, Leonard Bloomfield
Figures Chomsky
View on Language Looks for underlying rules shared
Records actual usage without judgment
Rules by all languages
Relevance in Forms the basis of many Fundamental for studying and
Linguistics specialized fields preserving linguistic diversity

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