Theoretical linguistics is a term in
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
that,
like the related term general linguistics,
can be understood in different ways. Both can be taken as a reference to the
theory of language, or the branch of
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
that inquires into the
nature of language and seeks to answer fundamental questions as to what language is, or what the common ground of all languages is.
The goal of theoretical linguistics can also be the construction of a general theoretical framework for the description of language.
Another use of the term depends on the organisation of linguistics into different sub-fields. The term 'theoretical linguistics' is commonly juxtaposed with
applied linguistics
Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field which identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems. Some of the academic fields related to applied linguistics are education, psychology, Communication stu ...
.
This perspective implies that the aspiring language professional, e.g. a student, must first learn the ''theory'' i.e. properties of the linguistic system, or what
Ferdinand de Saussure called ''internal linguistics''.
This is followed by ''practice,'' or studies in the applied field. The dichotomy is not fully unproblematic because
language pedagogy,
language technology and other aspects of applied linguistics also include theory.
Similarly, the term general linguistics is used to distinguish core
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...
from other types of study. However, because college and university linguistics is largely distributed with the institutes and departments of a relatively small number of
national languages, some larger universities also offer courses and research programmes in 'general linguistics' which may cover exotic and
minority languages,
cross-linguistic studies and various other topics outside the scope of the main
philological departments.
Fields of linguistics proper
When the concept of theoretical linguistics is taken to refer to ''core'' or ''internal linguistics'', it means the study of the parts of the language system. This traditionally means
phonology
Phonology (formerly also phonemics or phonematics: "phonemics ''n.'' 'obsolescent''1. Any procedure for identifying the phonemes of a language from a corpus of data. 2. (formerly also phonematics) A former synonym for phonology, often pre ...
,
morphology,
syntax
In linguistics, syntax ( ) is the study of how words and morphemes combine to form larger units such as phrases and sentences. Central concerns of syntax include word order, grammatical relations, hierarchical sentence structure (constituenc ...
and
semantics
Semantics is the study of linguistic Meaning (philosophy), meaning. It examines what meaning is, how words get their meaning, and how the meaning of a complex expression depends on its parts. Part of this process involves the distinction betwee ...
.
Pragmatics
In linguistics and the philosophy of language, pragmatics is the study of how Context (linguistics), context contributes to meaning. The field of study evaluates how human language is utilized in social interactions, as well as the relationship ...
and
discourse
Discourse is a generalization of the notion of a conversation to any form of communication. Discourse is a major topic in social theory, with work spanning fields such as sociology, anthropology, continental philosophy, and discourse analysis. F ...
can also be included; delimitation varies between institutions. Furthermore, Saussure's definition of general linguistics consists of the dichotomy of
synchronic and diachronic linguistics, thus including
historical linguistics
Historical linguistics, also known as diachronic linguistics, is the scientific study of how languages change over time. It seeks to understand the nature and causes of linguistic change and to trace the evolution of languages. Historical li ...
as a core issue.
Linguistic theories
There are various frameworks of linguistic theory which include a general theory of language and a general theory of
linguistic description.
[Linguistic Theory](_blank)
ScienceDirect. Retrieved 19 May 2023. Current humanistic approaches include theories within
structural linguistics and
functional linguistics. In addition to the humanistic approaches of structural linguistics and functional linguistics, the field of theoretical linguistics encompasses other frameworks and perspectives.
Evolutionary linguistics is one such framework that investigates the origins and development of language from an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. It incorporates various models within
generative grammar, which seeks to explain language structure through formal rules and transformations.
Cognitive linguistics and
cognitive approaches to grammar, on the other hand, focuses on the relationship between language and cognition, exploring how language reflects and influences our thought processes.
See also
*
''Theoretical Linguistics'' – journal
* ''
Course in General Linguistics''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theoretical Linguistics
Formal sciences
Linguistics