Hocketts Design Features
In a world where scientists are incessantly attempting to examine the intelligence of life forms other than humans, linguists have presented the idea that language in itself is reserved strictly for humans. One therefore, must attempt to solve that dilemma and come to a conclusion regarding the question is language unique to humans? If language is viewed solely as a system of communication, then it could be said that many differing species possess the ability to communicate. Humans also use certain systems other than language to communicate with others. The questions remains, are the kinds of grammars that represent linguistic knowledge unique to man. Most humans acquiring language utilize speech sounds, made up of an utterance act and illocutionary act, to express meanings, but such sounds are not necessary, which is evident by the deaf's ability to communicate through sign language (Fromkin et al., 1997). Conversely, when animals produce noises to communicate and vocally imitate human utterances, it is not the same as having the ability to communicate through language (Fromkin et al., 1997). Language is a system that relates sounds and gestures to meanings, something animals do not possess (Fromkin et al
As for displacement in time and space, birds are not able to do this while bees, with what is known as the 'bee dance', are able to tell others where the honey is amongst other things (Fromkin et al. The fifth characteristic is creativity which means that a form of communication must be able to have an infinite sentence (Hockett, 1997). Next, the characteristic is displacement in time and space which means that language must be able to refer to things in the distance (Hockett, 1958). Of course, with the ever changing world of today, who knows, maybe one day we will be proved wrong. Finally it comes down to the question of creativity. First, arbitrariness is not unique to the human species since birds have the ability to have a bird call in the Eastern US which will differ from one in the Western US (Fromkin et al. Next, duality is also not unique to humans since the notes in bird songs are only meaningful when they are put together and not alone (Fromkin et al. Scientists have looked at this aspect of language to determine whether this is unique to humans and what they have discovered is that no discovered animal language is creative (Fromkin et al.
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