Lecture Notes: Linguistics Branches

Introduction to Linguistics

• Linguistics: Scientific study of language
• Focus on all aspects of language: word formation, structure, meanings, and relationships between meanings

Major Parts of Linguistics

• Theoretical Linguistics: Study of language theories
• Applied Linguistics: Practical applications of linguistics

Theoretical Linguistics Branches

1. Phonetics

• Study of sounds in language
• How sounds are produced, tongue position, airflow

2. Phonology

• Abstract study of sounds
• How sounds are organized in the mind before they are spoken

3. Morphology

• Study of internal structure of words
• How words are formed and their different forms

4. Syntax

• Study of how words and phrases combine to form grammatical sentences
• Agreement of words in a sentence

5. Semantics

• Study of word meanings and interpretation
• Different types of meanings and shades of meanings

6. Pragmatics

• Study of hidden meanings in language
• Beyond literal meanings, understanding implied meanings (e.g., "It's cold here" implying to close the window)

7. Discourse Analysis

• Study of conversation, speech, text
• Analyzing the connectivity and relevance of sentences

Applied Linguistics Branches

1. Sociolinguistics

• Study of how language is used in society
• Different styles of language used according to social status

2. Psycholinguistics

• Study of how we learn and comprehend language
• How the mind processes language

3. Ethnolinguistics

• Relationship between culture and language
• How different words are used in different cultures (e.g., "stree" in Indian and Pakistani contexts)

4. Geolinguistics

• Study of different styles and dialects of language across geographic regions
• Example: Different dialects in upper and lower Punjab

5. Neurolinguistics

• Study of how the brain processes language
• Which parts of the brain are active during speaking and comprehension

6. Biolinguistics

• Relationship between genetics and language
• How language disorders are inherited genetically

7. Historical Linguistics

• Study of the history of language
• How languages change over time and merge with other languages

Closing

• Hope the lecture was clear and helpful
• See you in the next video