structural linguistics
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - A branch of linguistics that analyzes language as a system of interrelated formal structures and units. It focuses on the systematic relationships between elements within a language, such as phonemes, morphemes, and syntax, often without primary emphasis on meaning or historical development.
Usage
- Structural linguistics is often contrasted with generative grammar or functional approaches.
- It provides a framework for describing the structural patterns of a language at a specific point in time.
Examples
- The professor's expertise in structural linguistics was evident in her detailed analysis of sentence patterns.
- Early 20th-century structural linguistics laid the groundwork for many modern descriptive methods.
- His research applies principles of structural linguistics to the study of regional dialects.
Advanced Usage
- In a methodological sense: Refers to the analytical techniques themselves.
- The study employed structural linguistics to map the phonemic inventory of the language.
Variants and Related Words
- Structuralist (adj/n): Pertaining to or a practitioner of structural linguistics or structuralism.
- A structuralist approach to myth analysis.
- Structuralism (n): The broader theoretical approach, especially in anthropology and literary theory, influenced by linguistic structuralism.
Synonyms
- Descriptive linguistics (in a specific, synchronic sense)
- Structural analysis (of language)
Related Phrases
- Structural analysis: The process of breaking down language into its constituent parts and describing their relationships, a core activity in structural linguistics.
Noun
- linguistics defined as the analysis of formal structures in a text or discourse