The scope of linguistics

Lecture No.2 The scope of linguistics What are some of the branches of linguistics? Phonetics: the physical properties of all human sound. It studies the characteristics of human sound production especially those sounds used in speech and provide methods for their description, classification and transcription. Phonology : study of how languages organize the units of speech into systems .The study of specific sounds that make up words of speaking and listening. Syntax : refers to both the arrangement and the form of words. Study of the structure of sentences and of underlying principles for generating and processing them. It links together sound patterns and the meaning. Semantics: study of word and sentence meaning. Phonology, syntax and semantics constitute the grammar of language. Morphology : study of word formation and inflection. It is a branch of grammar which studies the structure or forms of words. Pragmatics :deals with how speakers use language in ways which cannot be predicted from linguistics knowledge alone. This relatively new and fast expanding topic has connections both with semantics , and with the various branches of linguistics . Psycholinguistics : the study of language and mind . Sociolinguistics : the study of language and society. Applied linguistics : the application of linguistics to language teaching. Computational linguistics :the use of computer to simulate language and its workings. Stylistics : the study of language and literature .It studies the features of situationally distinctive uses (varieties) of language, and tries to establish principles capable of accounting for the particular choices made by individual and social grousing the use of language. Anthropological linguistics : the study of language in cross- cultural settings. Philosophical linguistics :the link between language and logical thought. Historical (diachronic) linguistics : the study of language change and evolution( historical study). Synchronic linguistics :the study of the state of language at a given time , regardless of its previous or future history. ۩ Test and study of several questions concerning the previous two lectures will be done.