Phonetic science is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. Phoneticians rely on, or at least collaborate with, sociologists, psychologists, biologists, poets, physicists, anthropologists, neurologists and others. A look at the history of phonetics reveals that this seemingly recent trend has deep roots. In fact, it is possible to draw parallels…

Ethnographic semantics is that discipline which seeks to understand human cognition through an analysis of the cognitive content of linguistic expressions: that is, the systematic study of the meanings of words and the role of these meanings in cognitive systems. There are many misconceptions about the nature of ethnosemantics, however, and by…

A general observation about the vocabularies of most languages is that they tend to increase in size over time. Little is known about the causal mechanisms involved in this lexical expansion, but most anthropologists and linguists are in agreement that it probably mirrors general cultural evolution. The study of lexical growth becomes important if…

A study used children's definitions to explore the culture of the classroom from the perspective of the child. Definitions for school-related terms were elicited from first graders in two classrooms of a public elementary school in the Chicago metropolitan area. After having been acclimated to the presence of the researchers, the students were…

Educators must begin to take folk language seriously. Many of the situations in our classrooms are set up within unrealistic language frames because teachers are intimidated by code switching and because there is too little information about when and why people switch speech styles. (Author/WI)

This article discusses an abnormal type of speech in the Cocopa language called animal talk, which deals with how humans refer to the communication between humans and animals and between animals themselves. The derivation of animal talk from normal speech and speech of mythical animals is discussed. (NCR)

Studies the link between the theory of the neurophysiology of color perception and Berlin and Kay's ideas on color linguistics and color perception. Two interpretations of studies of color terminology are shown, one supporting and one disproving the Whorf Thesis. (NCR)

Examines ways authority comes to inhabit language. Schools are directly involved in production and distribution of authoritative discourse. In the French-speaking West Indies students are taught in the official language of authority (the French of France) rather than that of their everyday life (Creole). (Author/LHW)

Examines the effects of literacy on cultural traditions, linguistic behavior, socioeconomic organization, cognitive processes, and child development. Considers the implications for anthropological, psychological, and linguistic theories from the increased attention given to the study of literacy. Includes suggestions for socially and culturally…

Spanish loanwords in Arizona Tewa are compared with their counterparts in Rio Grande Tewa and Hopi and the process of linguistic acculturation and culture contact are evaluated. Implications for ethnohistorical and comparative research are discussed. (SW)

Presents a landscape historian's perspective of California's Yosemite National Park in which is described the history behind the names and places of Yosemite amidst descriptions of the landscape and significant people. Includes accounts of military ventures, native cultures, gold rush confrontations, and relationships between Native Americans, the…

Analyzes the interaction of text and context in a multimedia Quechua-language program and makes suggestions for teaching foreign languages through multimedia technology. (Author/VWL)

One approach to studying the nature of diverse speech exchange systems across sociocultural groups starts from the premise that all learning is cultural learning, and that language socialization is the way individuals become members of both their primary speech community and their secondary speech communities. Researchers must recognize that the…

Native signs used as basic kin terms in 20 sign languages from several sign language families are examined. (Author/NCR)

Explores the problem of implicit and explicit knowledge in a second language. The theoretical characterizations of Bialystok and Krashen are shown to be unsatisfactory in addressing these two problems. Some characteristics of explicit knowledge that any improved theory should be able to explain are considered. (SED)