Narrow Sense Linguistics:
* Focuses primarily on the study of language structure. This includes:
* Phonology: Sound systems of languages
* Morphology: Word formation and structure
* Syntax: Sentence structure and grammatical rules
* Semantics: Meaning of words and sentences
* Pragmatics: Language use in context
* Emphasizes formal analysis and abstract representations of language.
* Often excludes areas like language acquisition, psycholinguistics, and sociolinguistics.
Broad Sense Linguistics:
* Encompasses a wider range of studies related to language, including:
* All aspects of language structure (as in the narrow sense)
* Language acquisition: How children learn language
* Psycholinguistics: Relationship between language and the mind
* Sociolinguistics: Language variation and social factors
* Computational linguistics: Use of computers to analyze language
* Historical linguistics: Language change and evolution
* Anthropological linguistics: Relationship between language and culture
* Recognizes the interconnectedness of various linguistic disciplines.
* Considers language as a complex phenomenon with multiple dimensions.
Here's a table to further illustrate the difference:
| Feature | Narrow Sense Linguistics | Broad Sense Linguistics |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Language structure (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics) | All aspects of language, including structure, acquisition, psychology, sociology, computation, history, and anthropology |
| Emphasis | Formal analysis, abstract representations | Interdisciplinary approach, contextual understanding |
| Focus | Language as a system | Language as a complex, multifaceted phenomenon |
| Examples | Phonetic analysis, grammatical rules, lexical semantics | Language acquisition in children, dialect variation, language and cognition, computational models of language |
In essence, the narrow sense focuses on the "core" of linguistics, analyzing the structure and rules of language. The broad sense expands this scope to encompass all aspects of language and its interactions with other disciplines. Both perspectives are valuable, offering different insights into the complex nature of human language.