Page 23 - DENG504_LINGUISTICS

Unit 2: Linguistics: Branches and Tools

have explicit reference to language, and so have the Vedas and the Upanishadas of the ancient Notes
Indians. In the field of semantics, philosophy has provided tremendous insight to the linguists.
The structural linguistics ignored meaning because they thought it to be a subject of philosophy.
One of the major concerns of the Greek and Roman philosophers was to determine the nature of
being and the categories into which it fell. Aristotle established three main “categories of
predication,” things or “substances”, qualities, and actions. And the traditional concepts of parts
of speech seem to have originated from there.
On the other level, metaphysical systems can only be communicated to others by the use of words
in sentences constructed in language known to the philosopher and his readers or listeners.
Philosophers had to coin numerous terms to communicate their metaphysical and mystical
experience. Sanskrit philosophers went to the extent of equating the word with ‘Brahma’ (God).
Some of the major features of systems of logic and metaphysics are partly determined by certain
predominant features of the structure of the language used in the philosopher’s community.
Yet there are deep-rooted differences between philosophy and linguistics. The philosopher’s concern
is with ‘the uses of language for certain purposes that are common to many communities’; he is
not interested in the detailed differences between languages. The linguist’s concern is with ‘the
details of each language for its own sake’, and he evolves and evaluates theories primarily to deal
with particular languages. The linguist is particularly interested in the formal structuring of the
sentences of a language; the philosopher is interested in the logical structure and the inferential
possibilities of the propositions they express irrespective of the grammar of any particular language.
Hence both these disciplines are getting remote from each other these days.
2.2.3 Linguistics and Psychology

Linguistics studies human language. Whether language is behaviour or a cognitive process or
both, is still a controversial issue; yet it is well accepted that psychology is the study of human
behaviour and human mind. Hence both linguistics and psychology are closely related.
Investigations and attempts to find out answers to certain fundamental questions like the following
ones are likely to provide invaluable clues to the linguist: What is the principle of learning? How
is language learned by a child? Does the learning of the mother or native tongue involve the same
processes as the learning of a second or a foreign language? Is language-learning a result of
stimulus-response, imitation, repetition and reinforcement, or of exposure? Can a child whose
brain is injured in an accident, relearn a language? Does the loss of linguistic skills affect his other
skills? What roles do memory, motivation, age and aptitude play in language learning? Surely the
answers to such questions would help both the linguist and the scientist.

2.2.4 Linguistics and Geography
Linguistics and geography are also inter-related disciplines. The growth of a new discipline or
branch called ‘linguistic geography’ stands as a valid evidence to prove our proposition.
Geographical conditions, trees, plants, birds, animals, planes, mountains, rivers, deserts, etc. have
a bearing on language. The language of the people of a thick forest with a rich store of animals
may be richer in the names of trees and animals than the language of the people living in the
desert. If there is little interaction between one community and another community, for example
in the hilly areas, because of the obstacles created by hills and rivers, the cases of language change
would be less frequent. Oceans and seas also bring a sea-change in language. The languages of
India are different from the languages across the Himalayas are different from those below the
Atlantics; and so are the language of other countries isolated by the oceans. The languages across
the Himalayas. Languages of North India have few similarities with those of South India.
The study of the names of persons, places, temples, rivers, mountains, etc. has helped the
comparative linguists in the 19th century in establishing the family-history of languages. Languages
also have affected geography. Most of the states in India are framed on linguistic basis. Secession
of Bangla Desh from Pakistan took place partly because of the linguistic differences. Thus, geography
has been changing because of languages. All such facts are of great importance for the linguist.
They help him in supporting or rejecting his hunches and in describing languages in a better way.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 17