Introduction:
Linguistics is a fast-increasing and intriguing field having direct consequences in education, anthropology, sociology, language training, cognitive psychology, and philosophy. What exactly is the meaning of linguistics? It all boils down to the nature of language and communication.
Definitions:
G. Duffy asserts:
“Linguistics observes language in action as a means for determining how language has developed, how it functions today, and how it is currently evolving.
"According to S. Pit Corder:
“Linguistics is concerned with the nature of human language, how it is learned and what part it plays in the life of the individual and the community.”
Jean Aitchison asserts:
“Linguistics tries to answer two basic questions: What is language and How does language work.”
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“The scientific study of human language is called linguistics”.
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. This refers to language in general, not to any particular language. If we were interested in learning a language, we would say something like, "I'm studying French... or English," or whichever language we were learning at the moment. Linguistics, on the other hand, investigates 'language' as a whole rather than a single language. According to Robins (1985), if you're seeking for a unique approach to express oneself, this is a good place to start.
"Linguistics is concerned with human language as a universal and recognized aspect of human behavior and capacities, maybe one of the most important to human existence as we know it, and one of the most far-reaching of human capabilities in connection to the whole spectrum of humanity's accomplishments."
Isn't this a little esoteric? It is, since studying 'language' is difficult without referring to and imitating particular languages. However, even while doing so, the objective of linguistics is different.
Nature of Linguistics:
Linguistics does not put a high value on practical language comprehension or skill. Linguists may be proficient in one or more languages, or they may study a language with which they are not acquainted.
They're trying to find out how language is organized as a communication system to satisfy human requirements. A linguist is different from a polyglot (someone who knows many languages) (someone who studies broad principles of language structure and behavior, sometimes with reference to a specific language or languages).
Because all languages reveal something about the nature of language in general, any language may be used to show language structural principles. Linguistics is the study of language as opposed to the study of a language. The difference between comprehending how a vehicle works and learning how to drive an automobile is a frequent example of this discrepancy.
When we learn to drive a car, we build a set of habits and practice, much as we do when we learn to speak a language. We disassemble the car's system, evaluate it, and investigate the links between its components as we learn how it works. This is similar to what we do in linguistics, or the scientific study of language: we look at the mechanism of language, its pieces, and how they all function together to accomplish specific goals, as well as why they are constructed or arranged in a certain manner.
We utilize language's sounds, words, and other components in the same manner as we use car components while driving; behind these uses is the mechanism that permits us to do so. We study language because we need to understand how it works.
Linguistics as a Study Subject:
Linguistics may be thought of as both a wide and specialized discipline. In general, we call "science" all knowledge that is predicated on a clear, systematic, and rational understanding. As a consequence, we often refer to the "science of politics" or "statecraft," as well as "the science of cooking." We do, however, use the word "science" to refer to the study of the universe.
Systematic analysis:
Systematic analysis of facts that enables us to create specific principles or hypotheses regarding the phenomena; this research is empirical and objective since it is based on publicly verifiable evidence gathered via observation and testing of events Science must also provide an explanation based on appropriate data observation that is both consistent.
Example:
(i.e. there are no disputes between different parts of the explanation or assertion) and economical (i.e. a precise and non-redundant style of description is preferable). Let us now apply these scientific principles to language. The study of language is known as linguistics.
Language is both an objective and variable phenomena.
It has a specific shape and occurrence, similar to natural phenomena in the real world. A physicist or chemist measures materials' weights, densities, and other characteristics in the same manner as a physicist or chemist measures materials' weights, densities, and other qualities.
Linguists investigate the components of language in order to determine their nature.
Observing the recurrence of speech sounds or the manner in which words begin or end, for example.
Language, like other things, is objective since it can be seen with one's senses.
It may be heard with the ear, seen with the eyes, or read when reading words on a page.
Observation leads to categorization and definition procedures.
In science, each observable phenomenon must be properly explained. Its nature must be clearly explained. A chemist, for example, categorizes materials as metals or nonmetals, while a biologist categorizes live species as plants or animals. In the meanwhile,
Linguistics studies language characteristics and classifies them as sound aspects of certain kinds or words belonging to specific classes based on similarity or difference with other sounds and words.
However, although linguistics has certain characteristics with empirical (experimental) science, it is also a distinct discipline of study in its own right.
Social science examines language, which is a kind of social behavior that occurs in the interaction of human beings in society.
Language is also linked to human brain activities. As a consequence, it is not always possible to regard it as an objective occurrence.
'Science' is described as knowledge founded on clear, methodical, and reasonable reasoning. Systematic investigation of phenomena that allows us to declare certain principles or ideas about the events, The investigation is carried out by examining publically verifiable facts gathered via observation of occurrences and experiments. (Objective and Empirical) Each observed occurrence must be precisely explained. Its nature must be fully stated.
In empirical sciences, the procedures of observation and experimentation are referred to as.
Inductive processes are those in which phenomena are observed and data is gathered without any preconceived concept or theory, and then some theory is developed after the data is evaluated.
This has been the prevailing tradition in the history of western science. However, there is an alternate school of thought known as rationalism, which holds that the mind first forms certain concepts or ideas before interpreting data from observation and experience. This is how the custom goes:
The deductive approach is used, in which we form a prior hypothesis or theory in our heads and then attempt to prove it by applying it to the evidence.
According to empirical scientists, this procedure is unscientific since preconceived ideas may influence the kind of data we obtain, i.e., we seek evidence that supports our hypothesis and disregard others, and so it is not an objective method. These two viewpoints, however, may be reconciled. Certain aspects of language may be clearly examined and give genuine instances of objective and verifiable proof.
At the same time, we need to develop a hypothesis to explain this data, so we may develop a preliminary or working hypothesis that we may accept, reject, or revise as we go. With such an open approach, we may be able to collect more data. This interaction of inductive and deductive procedures may help us arrive at explanations that meet all of science's demands, namely, that they are comprehensive, consistent, and brief. Thus,
Linguistics is an empirical science as well as a social science.
It is, in fact, a human discipline since it works with a human language; hence, it is part of the study of humanities. This includes both the study of literature and the appreciation of the beauty and harmony of poetry. Language allows humanity to grasp itself. Furthermore, since language is employed in all domains of knowledge, linguistics is central to all subjects of study. In linguistics, the traditional divisions of science, art, and humanities are useless. Lyons puts it this way:
Linguistics naturally connects to a broad number of academic fields.
To assert that linguistics is a science is not to deny that, owing to its subject matter, it is inextricably linked to such basic human disciplines as philosophy and literary criticism.
The Goal of Linguistics:
Linguistics is currently considered a separate branch of study from other subjects. Language studies were not regarded as a separate subject of study before the twentieth century. It was considered part of studying the history of language or the philosophy of language, and it was referred to as philosophy rather than linguistics.
So 'Linguistics' is a modern name for the science that studies language as a self-contained and autonomous system worthy of study in and of itself, rather than in conjunction with other disciplines such as history or philosophy. It was critical to establish the subject's autonomy at the commencement of the formation of current linguistics; otherwise, it would have been impossible to examine the language system in the depth and exhaustiveness that it needed.
However, we also acknowledge that, although linguistics is a distinct subject of study, it is also deeply linked with other disciplines, with an overlap in areas of interest. The primary goal of modern linguistics is to describe language, analyze its nature, and build a language theory. That is, it aims to analyze the language system's components in order to arrive at a statement that explains how the system works.
The most important task in current linguistics is that of characterizing the language system, which is why it is called descriptive linguistics. Linguistics, on the other hand, encompasses other areas, such as the historical and comparative study of language. These techniques differ from the descriptive technique in that they concentrate a larger emphasis on language description; otherwise, they are comparable to the descriptive approach.