Linguisticly Able

1.)What are the functions of language? Just provide the main ones Abel describes.

The functions of language are grammar and vocabulary. They are distinctly unique and have very different characteristics and rules.

3.)What is the “inscrutability of reference?” (p. 228)

The undenaible fact that words refer to things, and we take the "meaning" of that word from what that word refers to. It doesn't actually mean anything, but it refers to meaning.

4.)What does Abel mean when he says that “Words are mete breaths of air, or scribbled pencil marks, but as used in a ‘language game’ by a speech community they are not arbitrary? “( p. 228)

That when you talk or communicate with words, they actually mean something. They having a meaning for you and they have a meaning for the people your talking to.

5.)What is the difference between Animal and Human Language?

We can understand Human Language, and (as far as we know) Animal language has no real set of rules, while any human language does, and those rules make it much more precise. Also (again, as far as we know) Animal language is unable to convey emotions as well as Human language. Human language also has difficulties in conveying emoition, but at least it can, whereas Animal language can't.

6.)What is Chomsky’s argument on how humans learn language? Be specific about linguistic competence.

Chomsky argues that we, as humans, have the function of grammar pre-programmed into them and only have to learn vocabulary. That the basis for language is built into everyone of us, and that grammar is inherently the same throughout all human languages, and that every human is linguistically comptent; that every human can learn languages.

8.)How would you answer Abel’s questions:” Would an infant learn to speak, although isolated from adults, he were constantly within earshot of a radio?” (p. 231)

That it would be doubtful, because he may learn the sturucture and random words, he would not be able to use those words in context, due to the fact that he would not learn what the words refer to.

9.)Why does Abel believe that “language is not in fact unique in the spectrum of human capacities?” (p. 231)

Because there is evidence that other animals communicate, althought thier communication has much less structure than ours does, and lacks descernable rules, as far as humans can tell. So they don't use language per say, more modified signals.

10.)What does Abel mean when he says: “We all learn these codes of stance, mannerism, gesture, tactility, interpersonal behavior…yet we are equally unable to state them fully”? (p. 232)

Language is incapable of fully expressing these, because words don't completely convey them. Everyone takes words to mean something slightly different. Words don't have concret refrences; they vary from person to person and people see them differently.