Language and Lexicon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Language and Lexicon - Essay Example Language and Lexicon As long as it meets the description, it is a language, even if other organisms do not understand it. Generally, it is the cognitive ability to learn and utilize complex communicative systems. Language relies on semiosis in order to relate signs with their meanings. It contains phonological systems, which govern the manner in which symbols combine to create sequences of words. Lexicon, on the other hand, is the vocabulary of the said language, also referred to as an individual’s lexical knowledge. It is taken along the lines of meaning in a language of written symbols and speech sounds. It is essential to know a language’s lexicon in order to understand the language. Every culture possesses its own lexicon and language. Lexicon includes bound morphemes, for example, majority of affixes, which cannot be used alone as words. Lexicon can also include various idiomatic classes of expression, as well as other collocations, and compound words. Dictionaries normally attempt to list a given language’s lexicon in alphabetical order, although they do not include bound morphemes. Lexicon, more formally, is the inventory of lexemes that is present in a particular language. Key Features of Language There are several key features of any language. Language is quite complex since it is the only full lexicon. One feature of language is a vocal-auditory channel. Majority of languages are spoken with hearing and the voice being medium for the majority of communication. Vocal communication acts as the basis for language communication (Trask, 2012). Directional reception and broadcast transmission is another feature of language. Human language is dispersed in every direction when it is spoken, although the ear pinpoints the sound’s direction. Another key feature is transitoriness or rapid fading, which refers to the fact that sound, fades quickly. This gives sufficient opportunity for people to hold discussions that would be lost in confusion if the sound s hang in the air. Interchangeability is another key feature of language, which allows for speech utterances in use by the two genders. This is not present in all organisms. The feature allows for empathy and thorough understanding among the sexes (Trask, 2012). Another key feature of language is total feedback that ensures all humans can hear what they say while checking the communicative effect and quality of their speech. Individual analysis of speech allows one to correct mistakes that lead to clearer communication in conversations held in the future, as well as for the avoidance of undesirable action (Trask, 2012). Specialization is yet another feature with the human body possessing parts that let them vocalize the phonemes. These are essential increased communication perception and depth of understanding, both non-verbal and verbal. Other features are semantics, which refer to the use of different words to express similar meanings in the same language. Moreover, arbitrariness that ensures sounds are given a meaning by the person hearing them, discreteness that refers to the ability of humans to put sounds in context even where the sounds are not clear, and duality of patterning that is referent to the switching of known sounds to come up with new meanings (Trask, 2012). Levels of Language There are four levels of language; text, sentences, words, and