Linguistics as a science. The main functions of the language. Language as a social phenomenon. Language functions Definition of the concept of language specify the functions of the language

Are you here: Questions and answers

The functions of a natural human language are a purpose, a role in human society. The idea of the functions of language changes historically in accordance with the change in views on the nature of language, on its relationship with being, consciousness:

Initially, language was seen as a means of designating things;

Then, as a means of expression and transmission of universal thought;

As a means of generating ideas;

As a means of division and perception of being, and each nation has its own [Zubkova 2003, p.19].

At present, all scientists are unanimous in recognizing the multifunctionality of the language, but unity on the question of which functions to single out. The functions of language are understood as all kinds of functioning of linguistic phenomena.

Understanding the function as the intended purpose of the object used by the subject, many researchers distinguish between:

Functions of language as a social phenomenon;

Functions of language as a system of signs;

Private functions in specific communication situations.

We will proceed from the fact that the functions of the national (ethnic) language (Language) or its variants (dialects, sociolects, etc.) and the functions of the signs of the language system are phenomena of different orders. So, for any ethnic language, important functions are:

Ethnic, consisting in the formation of ethnic identity,

National-cultural (accumulative, fixation and transfer of cultural experience).

We can talk about the functioning of one or another ethnic language as a means of international, interethnic communication, about the performance of the function of the state language by the language, about the functioning of languages in various fields of human activity - scientific, everyday, etc., as well as in private situations of communication - in situations of appeal, request, promise, etc.

The study of the essence of natural human language is impossible without considering its functions, because it is in the functioning that the nature of such a complex phenomenon as human language is manifested. The functions of human language are the basic, essential universal functions inherent in any ethnic language.

Language is a necessary condition for the formation and development of human society and the person himself, therefore Edward Sapir (1884 - 1939) named the creative function as the main function of language.

The basic functions of the human language and specific ethnic languages usually include the functions of:

Communicative (to be a means of communication, information exchange),

Cogitative (to serve as a means of forming and expressing thoughts, the activity of consciousness);

Expressive (express feelings, emotions).

Basic functions find their manifestation in private functions.

The main purpose of human language as a means of communication is the transmission of information in space and time. People communicate, interact in all kinds of activities - practical, cognitive, spiritual. Communication is a social process. It serves the formation of society, performs a binding function. Communicative activity is the most important aspect of human social behavior. Socialization, mastery of experience, language is carried out in communication. Thanks to the language, the continuity of human culture is carried out, the accumulation and assimilation of the experience developed by previous generations takes place.

Specific manifestations of the communicative function are particular functions. The private functions of the language include the following functions:

Phatic (contact-setting),

Appellative (appeals),

Voluntary (expression of will),

Directive (impact function),

Suggestive (impact on the psyche of another person),

Regulatory (creation, maintenance and regulation of relations in the human micro-collective),

Interactive (the use of linguistic means in the linguistic interaction of communicants in order to influence each other);

Magic (incantation), the use of linguistic means in the practice of shamans, psychics, etc.

Other private communicative functions can be distinguished.

The mental function of language is associated with the formation, expression and transmission of mental content. Language is not just a form, a shell for thought, but also a way of human thinking.

Cognitive (cognitive) function is to use language expressions to process and store knowledge in the memory of the individual and society, to form a picture of the world.

The language has an interpretive (interpretive) function, which consists in revealing the deep meaning of perceived linguistic statements (texts).

There is also an aesthetic (poetic) function, which is realized mainly in artistic creativity, when creating works of art.

The metalinguistic (meta-speech) function is to convey messages about the facts of the language and speech acts in it.

In addition to the functions of the language mentioned above, it is possible to single out the functions of language units as components of the language system. So, the main function of the word is the nominative function, the function of naming objects of the objective and spiritual world. Generalizing, classifying functions of nominative units are connected with the cognitive function.

A.A.Leontiev distinguishes between the functions of language and the functions of speech.

Regulatory (communicative), any communication can be seen as an attempt to regulate the behavior of others. There are three variants of the regulatory function: individually-regulatory, collective-regulatory and self-regulatory.

Cognitive, which has two aspects - individual (a means of mastering the socio-historical experience and social (construction, accumulation and organization of the socio-historical experience of mankind);

National-cultural function, the language captures the realities specific to a given culture.

The functions of speech, according to A.A. Leontiev, include:

Magic function;

Diacritical, associated with reduction, compression of a message in a certain communicative situation;

Emotional and aesthetic function. Emotional and aesthetic experiences are evoked in the addressee not at the level of a dictionary, but due to a combination of these means in a speech work.

3. FROM THE HISTORY OF LINGUISTICS

General linguistic problems are realized gradually. The centers of interest of linguistic thought are changing.

Linguistics, like any other science, stands on a foundation laid in the distant past. In the history of linguistics, one can find examples of correct guesses about language that laid the foundations of modern linguistics.

In antiquity, three so-called "traditions" developed: Greco-Roman, Indian and Chinese. European science has as its origins the first tradition, the ideas of ancient Greek philosophers. Those ancient sources that have survived allow us to trace the development of the doctrine of language, starting from Plato (428-348 BC). One of the most important questions of Greek philosophy was the question of whether the language is arranged "by nature" or "according to custom." Arranged "by nature" were considered those phenomena, the essence of which, eternal and unchanging, lies outside of man. Arranged "according to custom" were those phenomena that were accepted due to certain customs and traditions, i.e. by virtue of an implied agreement among the members of society. As applied to language, antinomy "by nature" vs. "according to custom" was reduced to the question of the nature of the name, whether there is a connection between the thing denoted by the word and the sound form of the word. Adherents of the "natural" view of language claimed the existence of such a connection. The existence of various ways of "natural" communication was recognized: the imitation of animal sounds, natural phenomena, etc. with words. It was believed that certain sounds express certain properties of objects and phenomena. Among the sounds, gentle, sharp, liquid, courageous, etc. stood out. So, the sound [r] was considered sharp, therefore, the presence of [r] in such words as cut, tear, roar, growl and others, naturally (by nature) is explained (motivated) by those phenomena that are denoted by these words. Motivated names were considered "correct names" because they allegedly reflected the signs inherent in things. The correct names were given by the Gods, and the Gods could not give wrong names, because they knew the essence of the named thing. And if the name was given by people (“by establishment”), then these were random names that did not reflect the nature of the named thing.

In the II century. BC. there has been a debate about how "regular" a language is. In language, while most word changes follow regular rules or patterns, there are numerous exceptions. regularity (cf. table–tables, pole - poles) the Greeks called analogy, and irregularity (cf .: man - people, child - children) is an anomaly. Analogists have focused their efforts on identifying various models by which words can be classified. Anomalists, without denying certain regularities in the formation of words, pointed to numerous examples of irregular word forms.

The teachings of the Greeks were based on written texts. Oral speech was considered dependent on written language. It was believed that literate people keep the purity of the language, and illiterate people spoil the language. This idea of the language lasted more than 2 thousand years.

In addition to the Greco-Latin tradition, an Indian tradition arose in antiquity. Classical texts were also studied here, dictionaries of obsolete words, comments on texts were compiled. Ancient Indian grammarians studied ancient sacred texts - Vedic hymns written in Sanskrit. Scientists paid great attention to the study of phonetics, since it was necessary to create rules for the exact oral reproduction of the Vedic hymns. The ancient Indian classification of speech sounds is more developed and accurate than all the classifications known to us that were proposed in Europe until the 18th century. Grammar Panini (IV century BC), according to Lyons, in its completeness, consistency, conciseness, far exceeds all grammars written up to the present. This grammar is generative. By following the rules of grammar in the prescribed manner, it was possible to generate certain speech works.

The Romans in all areas of science, in art, literature were strongly influenced by Greek culture. Latin grammarians almost completely adopted the Greek samples. The similarity of the Greek and Latin languages approved the point of view according to which the grammatical categories, by the ancient Greeks, are universal for the language in general. The Latin grammars of Donatus and Priscian were used as Latin textbooks until the 17th century.

In medieval Europe, Latin occupied an exceptionally important place in education. A good knowledge of Latin was essential for both secular and ecclesiastical careers. Latin was not only the language of the Holy Scriptures and the Catholic Church, but also the international language of diplomacy, science, and culture.

The Renaissance is characterized by an interest in national languages and literature. The literature of classical antiquity was seen as the source of all cultural values of civilization. During this period, grammars of national languages appeared. The classical teaching was transferred to new European languages.

Scientific linguistics of modern times seeks to rationally explain the laws of language construction. In 1660 in France appeared "General Rational Grammar" (Grammar of Port-Royal) A. Arno and C. Lanslo. The purpose of this grammar is to prove that the structure of the language is based on logical foundations, and different languages are variants of one logical rational system.

It is sometimes believed that the scientific study of language originated only in the 19th century. Only in the XIX century. the facts became the subject of careful and objective scrutiny [Lyons 1978]. Scientific hypotheses began to be built on the basis of carefully selected facts. A special method of researching facts was developed - the comparative historical method.

The promotion of historical justifications was typical at that time not only for linguistics, but also for other sciences, both natural and humanitarian.

At the end of the XVIII century. it has been proven that Sanskrit, the sacred language of India, is related to ancient Greek, Latin and other languages. In 1786, W. Jones noted that Sanskrit reveals such a similarity in roots and grammatical forms with the named languages, which cannot be explained by a coincidence. This similarity is so striking that one cannot help but conclude that these languages share a common source that may no longer exist. This discovery required a scientific explanation. Reliable methodological principles were needed to identify the relationship of languages.

Related languages are descended from one common base language and belong to the same family of languages. The further we go into antiquity, the less differences are found between the compared languages.

Comparatives relied mainly on grammatical correspondences. We considered the words of the main vocabulary, since "cultural" words are often borrowed. Languages that are in geographical or cultural contact easily borrow words from each other. Often certain realities or concepts adopted by one people from another retain their original names.

Comparative scientists study not just the similarity of linguistic elements, but regular correspondences. Regular correspondences between the sounds of words similar in meaning in different languages are formulated in the form of sound laws.

The development of linguistic science took place in close connection with the general cognitive work of man. The formation of the subject of the science of language went through myths, philosophy, grammar, rational grammar. Milestones in the history of linguistic thought are the concepts of V. von Humboldt, F. de Saussure.

W. von Humboldt (1767 - 1835) is sometimes recognized as the founder of general linguistics, the creator of the philosophy of language in the 19th century. Humboldt's concept is a turning point in the development of the theory of linguistics. On the basis of Humboldt's ideas, many subsequent concepts were developed in the 20th century. Humboldt put forward fruitful ideas in many areas of theoretical linguistics: language and people, language and thinking, language and languages, etc. He warned against the absolutization of his ideas, but descendants did not always take this into account.

Humboldt noted that spoken language played a decisive role in the development of man as a new biological species and as a thinking social being. The creation of a language is due to the internal need of mankind. Language is not only an external means of human communication, but it is embedded in the very nature of man [Humboldt 1984, p. 51]. Language is not just a passive tool for the representation of thought, but it participates in the formation of thought itself. The representation transformed into a word ceases to be the exclusive property of one subject. Passing on to others, it becomes the property of the entire human race. According to Humboldt, the structure of the languages of the human race is different, because the spiritual characteristics of peoples are different. Language, according to Humboldt, turns into a special world lying between the world of external phenomena and the inner world of a person. It is a system of meanings fixed in the language. Humboldt emphasizes the unity of all languages, the existence of common laws of development and actual functioning. This unity is due to the influence of the universal characteristics of thinking. Humboldt's idea of the universality of human languages is complemented by the idea of their ethnic determinism.

According to Humboldt, thinking is not just dependent on language, it is to a certain extent conditioned by each individual language. Each language describes around the people to which it belongs, from which it is given to a person to go out only insofar as he enters the circle of another language ibid., p. 80]. Mastering a foreign language could be likened to gaining a new position in the old vision of the world.

Revealing the essential characteristics of the language, Humboldt used the dialectical way of presenting them in the form of antinomies. Antinomy is a contradiction between two mutually exclusive objects or qualities, the regularity of each of which is rationally provable. Such a complex phenomenon as language cannot be described without resorting to this method. Thus, when describing a language, the following antinomies are established: objective and subjective, individual and collective, social and psychological, activity and static, understanding and misunderstanding, etc.

In the XIX-XX centuries. linguistics was dominated by the scientistic model, introduced by the natural sciences into linguistic comparativeism, structuralism, and generativism.

For most linguistic theories of the twentieth century. characteristic is the principle of the priority of the synchronous description of the language, which assumes that historical considerations are not essential for the study of a certain state of the language. This approach to the analysis of language was proclaimed by F. de Saussure (1857-1913). Saussure draws an analogy with the game of chess. In a chess game, positions on the board are constantly changing. However, at any given moment in time, the position is fully described by indicating the places occupied by the chess pieces. How the participants of the game came to this position (specific moves, their number, order, etc.) is completely unimportant for describing the position itself. It can be described synchronously, without reference to previous moves. The same, according to Saussure, is true of language.

All languages are constantly changing, but the states of a language can be described independently of each other. Each state of language can and must be described by itself, without regard to what it has developed from or what may develop from it.

The concept of the historical development of a language (language change) is most fruitfully used on a macroscopic scale, i.e. when comparing time states that are sufficiently distant from each other [Lyons 1978]. On a microscopic scale, i.e. when comparing two linguistic states of a language that are quite close to each other, it is impossible to draw a clear line between diachronic and synchronic variability.

F. de Saussure drew the attention of linguists to the systematic nature of the language. Each language is a set of interconnected subsystems that form a system of language, a system of relations. Elements of the language system - sounds, words, etc. - have significance only insofar as they are with each other in a relationship of equivalence and opposition. Saussure contrasted language and speech and urged linguists to first describe language as the most stable in linguistic activity. This was done within the framework of the system-structural paradigm in the 20th century.

Linguistics, starting from Saussure, set the task of choosing something stable and orderly from the fluid linguistic experience. System-structural linguistics sought to reveal the integrity and discreteness of its object. The task of the study was to extract virtual language units (phonemes, morphemes, etc.) from the text based on the method of opposition and accounting for distribution (environment, context).

In the second half of the 20th century, there is an expansion of the ideas and approaches of American linguistics, primarily the idea of generativism, developed under the influence of the ideas of Noam Chomsky. N. Chomsky included a description of the linguistic intuition of a native speaker in the scope of the linguist's research. Linguistic theory began to be understood as the study of the workings of human thinking and its relationship with language. The idea of innate grammar, deep and surface structures was put forward, the technique of generative grammar was developed.

In the last decades of the last century, the interests of linguists were increasingly concentrated on the study of the role of man in language, on the use of language by man (pragmalinguistic aspect).

Postmodern science of recent times fundamentally renounces any objective criteria, proclaiming the unlimited subjectivity of each act of linguistic interpretation, unlimited reading of the same text. In a fluid continuum, one must look for a pattern. Aspirations to discard tradition and build a "different linguistics" often lack a foundation. The analysis of language forces one to turn to positivism. Linguistics continues to go its own way. Individual "fluid" associations remained outside of linguistic analysis, because it is not known by what methods to study them.

The term "function" in linguistics is used in several meanings:

purpose, the role of language in human society,
assigning the role of language units.

In the first case, they talk about the functions of the language, in the second - about the functions of language units (phonemes, morphemes, words, sentences).

The functions of a language are a manifestation of its essence. Language researchers do not agree on the number and nature of functions. The language performs many functions (scientists identify up to 25 functions of the language and its units), but the main function of the language, its main purpose is to be a means of communication between people.

The main functions of the language include: communicative, cognitive, cumulative.

Communicative function

The main function of language is communicative. Language is primarily a means of human communication. We live in a society and communicate in a certain society in a certain space at a certain time. Thus, language is the main means of communication.

It is known that one can know well the norms of pronunciation, words and the rules of their use, grammatical forms and constructions, be able to use different ways of expressing the same thought (own synonymy), in other words, be linguistically and linguistically competent, but not be able to use this knowledge and skills are adequate to the real speech situation, or, as scientists say, the communicative situation. In other words, for language proficiency, the skills and abilities of using certain words, grammatical structures in specific conditions of communication, or communication (communication - from Latin communico - I connect, communicate) are important. That is why in teaching languages a type of communicative competence is distinguished. In a meaning close to this term, the term speech competence is sometimes used in the literature.

Communicative competence is the ability to understand others and generate your own programs of speech behavior, adequate to the goals, areas, situations of communication. It includes knowledge of the basic concepts of linguistic speech (in the methodology they are usually called speech studies) - styles, types of speech, structure of description, narrative, reasoning, ways of connecting sentences in the text, etc.; skills and abilities of retelling the text. However, the described knowledge and skills do not yet provide communication adequate to the communicative situation.

A very important place in the communicative function is occupied by the proper communicative skills and abilities - to choose the desired language form, the way of expression, depending on the conditions of the communicative act, i.e. skills of verbal communication in accordance with the communicative situation.

At present, the components of the situation, or speech conditions, have already been determined, which dictate the choice of words and grammatical means to the speaker. This is, firstly, the relationship between the interlocutors (official / informal) and their social roles. There is no doubt that the nature of verbal communication will be different, depending on who we communicate with, what is the social status of the speakers: student, teacher, student, what is their age, gender, interests, etc. Secondly, the place of communication (for example, communication between a teacher and a student in a lesson, during a break, in a friendly conversation). The third, very important component of the speech situation is the goal and intentions of the speaker. So, an order, request or demand, of course, will differ from a message, information or their emotional assessment, an expression of gratitude, joy, resentment, etc.

Thus, the actual communicative skills and abilities are the skills and abilities of verbal communication, taking into account who we are talking to, where we are talking, etc. Finally, for what purpose? There is no doubt that their formation is possible only on the basis of linguistic and linguistic competence.

cognitive function

Communication between people presupposes certain knowledge about the surrounding reality, and one of the universal and effective means of knowing the world around us is language. Thus, the language also performs a cognitive or cognitive function.

With the help of language, to a large extent, knowledge, the study of the surrounding world takes place. The Russian language ensures the continuity of the cultural traditions of the people, the possibility of the emergence and development of a powerful stream of national literature.

Linguistic competence provides the cognitive culture of the student's personality, the development of logical thinking, memory, imagination of students, mastering the skills of self-analysis, self-assessment, as well as the formation of linguistic reflection as a process of the student's awareness of his speech activity.

It should be noted that the distinction between linguistic and linguistic competencies is, to a certain extent, conditional. The selection of linguistic competence as an independent competence is important for understanding the cognitive (cognitive) function of the subject of the native language. This is its essential difference from the teaching of non-native languages.

Language acquisition involves not only the assimilation of knowledge about the language and the mastery of the linguistic material itself.

Scholars acknowledge the complex relationship between language and thought. In general, the relationship between language and thinking is manifested in the following. The possibility of correlating linguistic units with the phenomena of reality is based on thinking, on the ability of the human brain to reflect reality. Without such correlation, communication between people would be impossible. Indeed, in one of the definitions of language, language is called practical, real consciousness (K. Marx, F. Engels).

The results of cognition of the world are fixed in words, since the lexical meaning of the word is based on the concept. Thus, it becomes possible to transfer previous life experience to subsequent generations through the word (in this case, we are talking about the function of the language, which was called the function of storing information). On the basis of the existing results of cognition, fixed in words, further knowledge of the world is carried out, therefore the language is characterized as a tool, an instrument of thinking.

Cumulative function

Collection and informativeness are those essential properties of a linguistic sign that underlie its most important function, along with the communicative one: the cumulative function.

Language in this function acts as a link between generations, serves as a "repository" and a means of transferring non-linguistic collective experience.

The cumulative function is most clearly manifested in the field of vocabulary, since it is it that is directly related to objects and phenomena of the surrounding reality. The lexical system is largely determined by the categories of the material world, social factors.

“The word is the name of a specific thing, a specific phenomenon, unambiguously, but it is not a simple sign of a thing or phenomenon. The word can tell both about the time and about the environment in which it exists.

First of all, the vocabulary reflects fragments of social experience, due to the main activity of this people.

The existence of certain lexical units is explained by practical needs.

The connection of the history and culture of the people with the language is especially clearly manifested at the phraseological level. A large number of proverbs and sayings reflect specific national features, have the linguistic imagery that is rooted in the history of the people, their way of life, customs, and traditions.

Some layers of vocabulary are determined by social factors more obviously, others less obviously. If the national-cultural content is the core of phraseological units, then in proper names it is a kind of connotation.

The most difficult group in terms of determining their national and cultural content is formed by background vocabulary. It has been proved that if we compare conceptually equivalent words in different languages, they will differ from each other due to the fact that each of them is associated with a certain body of knowledge.

The whole set of information related to the word, characteristic of ordinary linguistic consciousness, is called the lexical background.

The concept of background vocabulary is undeveloped. The study of background knowledge is of great importance, both for linguistic and regional studies (the main science in which this concept is studied), and for semiology and linguistics in general.

Other language features:

interpretive / interpretive (disclosure of the deep meaning of the perceived language statements of texts),
regulatory / social / interactive (linguistic interaction of communicants aimed at exchanging communicative roles, asserting their communicative leadership, influencing each other, organizing a successful exchange of information due to the observance of communicative postulates and principles),
contact-establishing / phatic (establishment and maintenance of communicative interaction),
emotional-expressive (expression of one's emotions, feelings, moods, psychological attitudes, attitudes towards communication partners and the subject of communication),
aesthetic (creation of works of art),
magical / "incantatory" (use in a religious ritual, in the practice of spellcasters, psychics, etc.),
ethno-cultural (unification into a single whole of representatives of a given ethnic group as native speakers of the same language),
metalinguistic / metaspeech (transmission of messages about the facts of the language itself and speech acts in it).

The history of each language is most closely connected with the history of the people who are its bearers. identifying (there are significant functional differences between the language of the tribe, the language of the people and the language of the nation. Language plays an extremely important role in the consolidation of kindred (and not only kindred) tribes into nationality and in the formation of a nation.

The main object of linguistics is the natural human language, in contrast to the artificial language or the language of animals.

Two closely related concepts should be distinguished - language and speech.

Language- a tool, a means of communication. This is a system of signs, means and rules of speaking, common to all members of a given society. This phenomenon is constant for a given period of time.

Speech- the manifestation and functioning of the language, the process of communication itself; it is unique for every native speaker. This phenomenon is variable depending on the speaker.

Language and speech are two sides of the same phenomenon. Language is inherent in any person, and speech is inherent in a particular person.

Speech and language can be compared to a pen and text. Language is a pen, and speech is the text that is written with this pen.

Language as a system of signs

The American philosopher and logician Charles Pierce (1839-1914), the founder of pragmatism as a philosophical trend and semiotics as a science, defined a sign as something, knowing which, we learn something more. Every thought is a sign and every sign is a thought.

Semiotics(from gr. σημειον - sign, sign) - the science of signs. The most significant division of signs is the division into iconic signs, indices and symbols.

Iconic sign (icon from gr. εικων image) is a relationship of similarity or similarity between a sign and its object. The iconic sign is built on the association by similarity. These are metaphors, images (paintings, photos, sculpture) and schemes (drawings, diagrams).
Index(from lat. index- scammer, index finger, heading) is a sign that refers to the designated object due to the fact that the object really affects it. However, there is no significant resemblance to the subject. The index is built on association by adjacency. Examples: a bullet hole in glass, letter symbols in algebra.
Symbol(from gr. Συμβολον - conventional sign, signal) is the only true sign, since it does not depend on similarity or connection. Its connection with the object is conditional, as it exists due to the agreement. Most words in a language are symbols.

website hosting Langust Agency 1999-2020, link to the site is required

Language arose naturally and is a system that is necessary both for an individual (individual) and society (collective). As a result, language is inherently multifunctional.

LANGUAGE is a socially determined system of verbal signs that serve as a means of designating a variety of information and communication between people, it is the most important tool of human activity. In human activity, language performs several important functions. The main ones are: communicative; cognitive (cognitive); accumulative; emotional; magical and poetic.

The communicative function of language

The communicative function of language is related to the fact that language is primarily a means of communication between people. It allows one individual - the speaker - to express his thoughts, and the other - the perceiver - to understand them, that is, to somehow react, take note, change his behavior or his mental attitudes accordingly. The act of communication would not be possible without language.

Communication means communication, exchange of information. In other words, language arose and exists primarily so that people can communicate.

The communicative function of the language is carried out due to the fact that the language itself is a system of signs: it is simply impossible to communicate in another way. And the signs, in turn, are designed to transmit information from person to person.

literary language antithesis rhetorical

Message and influence, and communication are the realization of the communicative function of language.

Cognitive or cognitive function of language

Cognitive or cognitive function of language (from the Latin cognition - knowledge, cognition) is connected with the fact that human consciousness is realized or fixed in the signs of the language. Language is a tool of consciousness, reflects the results of human mental activity.

Scientists have not yet come to an unambiguous conclusion about what is primary - language or thinking. Perhaps the question itself is wrong. After all, words not only express our thoughts, but the thoughts themselves exist in the form of words, verbal formulations, even before their oral pronunciation. At least, no one has yet been able to fix the pre-verbal, pre-linguistic form of consciousness.

Any images and concepts of our consciousness are realized by ourselves and those around us only when they are clothed in a linguistic form. Hence the idea of the inseparable connection between thinking and language.

The connection between language and thought has been established even with the help of physiometric evidence. The test person was asked to think over some difficult task, and while he was thinking, special sensors took data from the speech apparatus of a silent person (from the larynx, tongue) and detected the nervous activity of the speech apparatus. That is, the mental work of the subjects "out of habit" was reinforced by the activity of the speech apparatus.

Curious evidence is provided by observations of the mental activity of polyglots - people who can speak well in many languages. They admit that in each case they "think" in one language or another. An illustrative example of the intelligence officer Stirlitz from the famous movie - after many years of work in Germany, he caught himself "thinking in German."

The cognitive function of language not only allows you to record the results of mental activity and use them, for example, in communication. It also helps to understand the world. Human thinking develops in the categories of language: realizing new concepts, things and phenomena, a person names them.