Linguistics For Beginners

In linguistics, it means the study of the smallest forms that carry meaning. These forms are called morphemes.

We write English in what is called a phonetic alphabet. This means that the letters of the alphabet stand for sounds, the most basic elements of language that linguists study.

Linguists pay more attention to skeletons than to skin; they spend more time studying the sounds of speech and sound systems than words on the page.

The study of patterns for sentences is called syntax by linguists and grammar by the rest of the world.

It takes words apart (hopelessly=hope+less+ly) and examines how the parts go together (hope+less+ly but not less+hope+ly). It also looks at how words form groups (He is hopelessly lost but not Lost is hopelessly he).

Unlike most other tools, language can be used on itself, and that is exactly what happens in the study called linguistics. It is analysis of language, it is language about language.