Linguistica

UNIVERSIDAD DE COSTA RICA LINGUISTICS
SEDE DEL PACIFICOWRITING AND LANGUAGE
BACHILLERATO EN LA ENSEÑANZA ST: DANIELA BONILLA
DELINGLES JORGE LEONANIMAL COMMUNICATION

Animals communicate among themselves and with humans so effectively that they are frequently held to use “language”. From linguist’s point of view, however,not just any communication qualifies as language.
Nonvocal Communication: Animals communicate not only with sounds, some nonvocal modes of communication are:
* Scent.
* Light.
* Electricity.* Color.
* Facial expression.
* Posture
* Gesture.
Communication Structure: communication relies on using something to stand for something else. These things are technically known as asign. The sign is a unit of communication structure that consists of two parts: a signifier, be it a word, a scent, a gesture, and something signified that exists in the real world, and which is mentallyrepresented by the sign. (This figure illustrates these distinctions)
Types of Signs: Signs can be divided into three basic types:
* Iconic Signs: They resemble what they signify. Ex: aphotograph, an onomatopoeic word.
* Indexical Signs: It points out its referent, by being a partial sample of it. Ex: an animal track, the presence of smoke. Most important is a kind of indexical sign calleda symptomatic sign, they spontaneously convey the internal state or emotions of the sender.
* Symbolic Signs: it bears no inherent connection with the message it helps to communicate. Ex. The...