The Use of Language and it’s Different Rules/Interpretations

Language is symbol driven

Each word we use in language Is constituted with its own object/ideaLink to video that compares humans and primates using symbols and how complexity has

grown over time: http://humanorigins.si.edu/human-characteristics/language

Denotative Meaning

• The actual meaning of a word as it defined in the dictionary

• Ex. Mom which would be your biological mother who actually gave birth to you

Connotative Meaning

• The different ideas or concepts surrounding a word

• While a connotative meaning of mom could be the woman who raised you, doesn’t have to be of kin to you but still cared for/raised you

Denotative + Connotative = The Semantic Triangle

Video describing the triangle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVXJ8V-dH-A

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

• Co-created by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf

• Is the theory that an individual's thoughts and actions are determined by the language or languages that individual speaks; based off 2 principles:

• Based off (1) lingusitic determinism, which says how we think is formed from our grasp of whatever language we speak

• And (2) linguistic relativism , which states we percieve reality based off the language we speak

Hayawaka’s Ladder of AbstractionoThe bottom rung represents the most abstractoHigher up you go the more concrete things becomeoGood way to determine how specific you can get

The Rise of New Abbrievations

• New way of communicating has been created due to the prominence of social networks and online connection

• Examples include OMG (oh my God), HML (hit my line/call me), WYD (what are you doing?), SMH (shaking my head/showing disdain)

• Also the creation of “emojis”, emoticon symbols that started in Japan and have been put on iPhone/Android devices

Emojis

•http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/4/3966140/how-emoji-conquered-the-world•Have completely changed the way people interact via text•Ability to convey many more emotions

Works Cited • “How emoji conquered the world”. Jeff Blagdon. March 4, 2013.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/4/3966140/how-emoji-conquered-the-world

• The Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2014. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/relativism/supplement2.html

• Human Characteristics: Language & Symbols. Smithsonian Institution. 2014. http://humanorigins.si.edu/human-characteristics/language

• Communication Matters. Kory Floyd. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. New York, NY.

• The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. The Institute for Language Information and Technology at Indiana University. http://linguistlist.org/ask-ling/sapir.cfm#what