Cultural Anthropology
Linguistic Anthropology
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What is Linguistic Anthropology
Linguistic anthropologists study the variation in human
languages, the roots of human languages, and the role
of language in shaping human thought and behavior.
It is a subfield of cultural anthropology
Main areas of study:
– How language is used
– Relationship between language and culture
– How humans acquire language
A Linguistic Anthropologist would look at:
– Verbal language
– Non-verbal language
Questions of a Linguistic
Anthropologist
– Are all human languages of equal complexity?
Are some languages harder to learn than
others?
– How did language originate?
– Are all the languages of the world related to
one another?
– Why is it so hard to speak a foreign language
without an accent?
– Does language shape thought or vice versa?
How Language Changes and
Spreads
How is language acquired
– There are 150 sounds in world language
Babies can detect all of them
We lose the ability to detect that as we get older
– Babies learn language through emersion in the
language
– Socialization
Language diffusion
– Language can change through contact with other
culture groups
– Language can be invented (Swahili)
– Language can change through migration
Gender and Non-Verbal Signals
Females
– Claim less territory as their
own
– Stand closer to each other
in conversation
– Use more eye contact than
men
– Use more facial expression
and are generally more
outwardly expressive
– More likely to return a smile
when smiled at. In General
Women smile more
Males
– More likely to have a room at
home (den, workshop, office)
that is off limits
– Maintain greater distance from
each other
– Use less eye contact than
women
– Reveal less emotion through
facial expressions than
women
– Less likely to return a smile.
In general, men smile less
than women
Gender and Non-Verbal Signals
Females
– Take up less space - Women hold
legs more together and keep arms
close to body
– Stand farther from people who
speak loudly
– Women use fewer gestures.
Women use more gestures with
men than with women. Women
use more gestures when seeking
approval.
– Cross legs at the knees or cross
ankles with knees slightly apart.
– More likely to play with hair or
clothing, and place hands in their
laps
Males
– Men tend to have legs apart at 1015 degree angle and hold arms 510 degrees away from body.
– Men maintain the same distance
whether people speak loudly or
normally.
– Men use more gestures than
women in general social
situations. Men use about the
same amount of gestures with
men or women.
– Men tend to set with legs apart or
stretched out in front and ankles
crossed.
– More likely to use sweeping arm
and hand gestures.
Gender and Non-Verbal Signals
Females
– Women do not necessarily
interpret a man’s touch as
a sexual invitation.
– More likely to keep hands
on arms of a chair.
Males
– Men often interpret a
woman’s touch as a form of
sexual communication.
– Men rarely keep hands on
the arms of chairs.
Gender and Non-Verbal Signals
Question
– Situation 1: A man
and a woman sit next
to each other on an
airplane. Which most
often uses the armrest
in the middle?
Answer
– In a study of 426 malefemale pairs, 284 men
claimed the armrest
and only 57 women
claimed it.
Jazz Age Glossary
All wet
Applesauce
Bee’s Knees
Belly Laugh
Berries
Big Cheese
Bull Session
Bump Off
Carry A Torch
Cat’s Meow
Cheaters
Copasetic
Crush
Wrong; arguing a mistaken notion or belief
A term of derogation; non-sense; baloney
A superb person or thing
A loud, uninhibited laugh
Anything wonderful; similar to bee’s knees
An important person
An informal group discussion
To murder
To suffer from unrequited love
Anything wonderful; similar to bee’s knees
Eyeglasses
Excellent
An infatuation with a person of the opposite
sex
Jazz Age Glossary
Dogs
Fall guy
Flapper
Giggle Water
Gin Mill
Goofy
Hard-Boiled
Heebie-Jeebie
Human feet
A scapegoat
A typical young girl of the
20’s
An alcoholic drink
A speak-easy
Silly
Tough; without sentiment
The jitters
90’s Language
404
411
Bag On
Check It Out
Clueless
Cool
Da Bomb
Dig It
Dipstick
Dis
Dog
Drop
Drop Knowledge
Dude
Clueless or naïve
Information
To tease, nag or complain
Pay attention
Unaware; naïve; lacking knowledge
Calm, fine, acceptable, neat exciting
Great; awesome; extremely cool
Do you understand?
A stupid person
To disrespect
To criticize sharply or act like a jerk
To give or tell
To share information or experience
Person, especially male – greeting
90’s Language
Get outta here
Hang out
Jam
Rag
Rap
Rents
School
Totally
For Real
Trip
Turkey
Way
What’s Up
You must be kidding
To relax or to gather
To leave; to go
To tease, put down, criticize
To talk or a kind of music
Parents
To teach a lesson to
Very, very much
True? Is it true?
Unusual or strange, overreact
Someone who is stupid or silly
Yes, positive affirmation to “no way”
Hi. What’s new or happening?
Text Language
BFF
LOL
BRB
LMAO
A3
CMIIW
FOMCL
IYKWIM
JJA
MTFBWU
OTTOMH
PRW
SBTSBC
SMHID
UGTBK
Best friends forever
Laugh out loud
Be right back
Laughing my @$$ off
Anytime, anywhere anyplace
Correct me if I'm wrong
Falling off my chair laughing
If you know what I mean
Just joking around
May the force be with you
Off the top of my head
Parents/people watching
Same bat time, same bat channel
Scratching my head in disbelief
You’ve gotta be kidding
