5. Language as a system. Language and speech.

General characteristic of a language. Language is a means of forming and storing ideas, which are the reflections of reality. Language is used for exchanging them in the process of human intercourse (взаимодействие). Language is social by nature, as it is inseparably connected with the people, who are creators and users.

Language incorporates 3 constituent part:

• The phonological system

• The lexical system

• The grammatical system

Only the unity of these 3 elements forms a language.

The nature of grammar, as a constituent part of language is based on the two planes of language.

1. plane of content (comprises(включает в себя) the purely semantic elements of language)

2. plane of expresses (comprises the material units of language taken apart from the meanings)

The 2 planes are inseparably connected, so no meaning can be realized without some material means of expression.

E.g. Mr. Smith has bought a Ford.

The correspondence between these 2 planes is very complex and is particular to each language. This complex may be illustrated by phenomena of polysemy, homonymy, synonymy.

Language as a system

Modern linguists lay a special stress on the system of a language, and all this constituent parts. Language is a system of signs, which are closely interconnected and interdependent. Units of immediate independences (such as classes and subclasses of words, various subtypes of syntactic constructions) form different micro systems within the macro system of the whole language.

Each system is a structural set of elements related one another by a common function. The all signs all the lingual signs to give human thoughts.

Language and speech

The distinction between them was first introduced by Фердинанд Де Соссюр. The system of language includes on the one hand the body of material units (sounds, morphemes, words) and on the other hand – the rules of using these units.

Speech comprises both the act of producing utterances and the utterances themselves (the text both in the oral and written form).

Language

1. the body of material units

2. the regularity of use of these elements

Speech (both oral and written forms)

1. act of produces utterances

2. utterances themselves

Language speech

We have brought philosophical of language into 2 different aspects:

1. the systems of signs (language proper)

2. the use of signs (speech proper)

The generalizing term language is also acceptable in linguistic and shows the unity of these two aspects.

Syntagmatic and Paradigmatic relations between lingual units

Lingual units stand to one another in 2 fundamental types of relations:

Syntagmatic relations – these are lingual relations between units in a segmental sequence (utterance) they define the meaning of the word of word- form when it is used in combinations with other words in the follow of speech.

I cant see anything. – He didn’t see the joke. – I am seeing solicitor this morning. – Tom has had too much to drink, we would better see him home.

Paradigmatic relations find their expression in the fact that each lingual unit is included into a set of connections based on different formal and functional properties. They exist between elements of the system outside the word combinations or sentences in which they co- occur (between words belonging one lexical subgroup).

I/ got/ a /book/

We /receive/ the/ letter/

They/ obtain /that/ magazine/

Speaking about the relations between lingual units we should understand the following notions:

1. Syntactic syntagma is a combination of 2 words or word- groups one of which is modified by the other.

e.g. Keep record of your expanses.

2) A grammatical paradigm is the ordered set of grammar forms, expressing a categorical function.

Girl-girls-girl’s-girls’

To go-go-goes-went-gone-going

Fine-finer-finest