Question

1.Two other significant "design features" of human language are duality and discreteness. Give examples to illustrate these two features.

2.Which phenomenon is ubiquitous throughout language? Duality or discreteness? Explain why.  

Answer 1

1. Two other significant "design features" of human language are duality and discreteness. Give examples to illustrate these two features.

The features that have been defined are put forward by Charles F Hockett. These are feature sets that have been characterised in the human language, such that it could be set apart from the communications put forward by animals. These characteristics have been referred to as languGe design features, where, there has been 13 design features put forward. Duality has been put forward exclusively in human communication.

Duality: this is also referred to as double articulation or the pattern of duality. This concept has been used both in semiotics as well as linguistics. This is referred to as the system in which there are two levels, where, there would be a system which is inherent to humans. These comprise of two forms of elements- meaningful communication or meaningless or distinctive communication, Duality is present throughout language.

Discreteness: this is a representation in linguistics that could be broken into different units, that would be combining with one another, in ways that are governed by rules. These would be perceived in a categorical manner and not in a continous form.