The Easy Way To Understand Linguistics

First we have to know What is linguistics ?

Linguistics is the sience of  language. As you know, language is means to communicate, it is semiotic systems. So what is semiotic system ? Semiotic systems are systems of communication and include not just human language but, for instance, gesture, music, art, and dress as well. Like any system, language has structure, and the succeeding sections

provide an overview of this structure: the modes (speech, writing, signs) in

which language is transmitted, and the conventions (both linguistic and

social) for how sounds, words, sentences, and texts are structured.

And about semiotic system, whether it is spoken, written, or signed, every language has structure, which can be described, as Leech (1983: 21–4) notes, by postulating:

(1) rules governing the pronunciation of sounds; the ways that words are

put together; the manner in which phrases, clauses, and sentences

are structured; and, ultimately, the ways that meaning is created;

(2) principles stipulating how the structures that rules create should be used.

Rules of grammar operate at various levels:

                       

1.Phonetics/Phonology: This level focuses on the smallest unit of structure in language, the phoneme. Linguistic rules at this level describe how sounds are pronounced in various contexts.

So what is difference between phonetics and phonology ?

Phonology is learning about  pronounciation of sounds while phonetics is the result of it in the form of  voice.

For example : when you say  ‘B’  [bi], your libs closed and then opened with the encouragement of the air, so you can be producing  [bi].

Phonetics/Phonology , It includes place and manner of articulation.

2. Morphology: The next level of structure is the morpheme, the smallest unit of meaning in language. Rules of morphology focus on how words (and parts of words) are structured. It  describes all facets of word formation, such as how prefixes and suffixes are added.

For exampel : love =>loved, loving ; try => tried, trying.

3. Syntax: The largest level of structure is the clause, which can be analyzed into what are called clause functions: subject, predicator, object, complement, and adverbial. Syntax is learning about  specifically how words, phrases, clauses, and

sentences are structured.

For example : I broke it

it is a main clause – it can stand alone as a sentence, as opposed to a subordinate clause, which has to be part of an independent clause – and can be analyzed as containing :

a subject (I)

a predicator (broke)

a direct object (it).

At the level of syntax, there are many rules stipulating how constituents within a clause are grouped. For instance, all languages have constraints on how constituents should be ordered.

4. Semantics:  the study of semantics is typically focused on such topics as the meaning of individual words (lexical

semantics) and the ability of words to refer to points in time or individuals in the external world (deixis).

At the level of sound,

Example :  kick /kIk/ and sick /sIk/,

the choice of /k/ vs. /s/ results in words with two entirely different meanings.

At the level of morphology, placing the prefix un- before the word happy results in a word with an opposite meaning: unhappy.

At the level of syntax, the sentence Jose wrote to  Carla means something entirely different than Carla wrote to Jose because in English, word order is a crucial key to meaning. But even though meaning is present at all levels of linguistic structure.

Semantics is the study which learning  the meaning of morphemes, words, phrases and sentences. Semantics do not care about the situation when  morpheme, word, or phrase that is used. The object of study semantics has only one meaning, the meaning attached to it in accordance with the dictionary.

Example :

(correct)  I walked in the road yesterday

(incorrect) I walked in the sea yesterday ( in syntax, it is true structure)

As you know that impossible to walk in sea, although in syntax it is true but in semantics is not has meaning.

5. Pragmatics : It is learning not just about meaning that attached to the morpheme, word, phrase or sentence, but also context of a speech is uttered. Pragmatics also pay attention to the time, place, situation, who utter the speech and to whom it is addressed.

Example : Desnor invited Nabila  to come to her party, but Nabila won’t to come to Desnor’s party because her exboyfriend, Andy came too.

Desnor : Will you come to my party ?

Nabila  : (a) No, I don’t want, because Andy come too. => semantics

               (b) sorry, my mom didn’t allow me. => pragmatics

               (c) I get sick, I’m sorry. => pragmatics

You can see in a,b,c. You can see what is difference among them. In the A, Nabila said honestly that she didn’t want to come and said her reason. It is meaning in semantics, the meaning is sure.

And about B and C, it is the way of Nabila that she rejected inviting of Desnor but she didn’t say her reason why she didn’t come to Desnor’s  party and say a lie.

Maybe she is ashamed saying her reason so she is lie.

It depends what Nabila’s mind, how she expresses her feeling.

Like I have said before  Pragmatics attached to the morpheme, word, phrase or sentence, but also context of a speech is uttered.

Ok. That is all for me. :) :) :)

#I’m receiving critics, suggestions that make this writing be better.

Thank you I hope it can help you

 

References :

Charles F. Mayer, Introducing  English Linguistics, 2009,[pdf]

https://belajarlinguistik.wordpress.com/