Hockett's Design Features of Language

Hockett's Design Features, identified by linguist Charles F. Hockett in the 1960s, are a set of characteristics that define human language and distinguish it from animal communication. Initially, Hockett proposed 13 design features, suggesting that while primate communication uses the first nine, the last four (displacement, productivity, cultural transmission, and duality) are unique to humans. He later expanded the list to include prevarication, reflexiveness, and learnability as uniquely human traits, asserting that all human languages, even the most basic, possess these 16 features.

Design Features of Language

Vocal-Auditory Channel: This refers to the use of speaking and hearing as the primary mode for human language. Hockett's original definition didn't consider sign language, reflecting the prevailing ideology of orality at the time. It has since been updated to include other channels like tactile-visual or chemical-olfactory.

Broadcast Transmission and Directional Reception: When humans speak, sounds are transmitted in all directions, but listeners can identify the sound's origin. Similarly, signers broadcast to anyone within sight, and observers can see who is signing. This is common in both human and animal communication.

Transitoriness: Also known as rapid fading, this refers to the temporary nature of language. Language sounds exist briefly and disappear once the speaker stops. This also applies to signs. Writing and Inka khipus (knot-tying), however, are more permanent forms of communication.

Interchangeability: Humans can both give and receive identical linguistic signals, meaning they aren't limited in the types of messages they can send or hear. For instance, anyone can say 'I am a boy,' regardless of their actual gender. This differs from prevarication (lying); the key is that a speaker can physically produce any message, regardless of its truth. Not all species have this feature. Queen ants, for example, produce unique chemical scents to communicate their status, which other ants cannot produce.

Complete Feedback: Speakers can hear their own speech and adjust it in real-time. Similarly, signers can see, feel, and control their signing.

Specialization: Linguistic signals are meant for communication, not for other biological functions. Human speech or signing is generally intentional. Dog panting is an example of non-specialized communication. While it can communicate that the dog is hot or thirsty, the primary purpose is to cool the dog off, making the communication secondary.

Semanticity: Specific sound signals are directly linked to certain meanings.

Arbitrariness: Languages consist of both arbitrary and iconic symbols. Iconicity in spoken languages includes onomatopoeia (e.g., 'murmur'). However, most symbols lack a logical connection between the sound and its meaning. The word 'car,' for example, is arbitrary because it doesn't resemble an actual car. This is further illustrated by different languages having different names for the same object. Signed languages can be somewhat iconic (e.g., 'house' in ASL), but many signs are still arbitrary.

Discreteness: Linguistic representations can be broken down into small, discrete units that combine in rule-governed ways. These units are perceived categorically, not continuously. For example, the English plural morpheme /s/ is added to nouns to mark number and is perceived categorically, not by varying the loudness of the /s/.

Displacement: Humans can discuss things that aren't physically present or don't exist. They can talk about the past, future, hopes, and dreams, not just the here and now. This feature distinguishes human language from primate communication.

Productivity: Language users can create and understand novel utterances, producing an unlimited number of expressions. Grammatical patterning also plays a role, facilitating language use and comprehension. Language is dynamic, with new idioms constantly emerging and signal meanings varying by context.

Traditional Transmission: Also known as cultural transmission, this suggests that while humans have innate language abilities, language is learned socially after birth. This contrasts with Chomsky's Universal Grammar, asserting that language is acquired through interaction with experienced users like parents or caretakers. Language and culture are intertwined in this process.

Duality of Patterning: Meaningful messages are composed of distinct, smaller meaningful units (words and morphemes), which are themselves made up of distinct, smaller, meaningless units (phonemes).

Prevarication: This is the ability to lie or deceive, allowing humans to make false or meaningless statements. This is a key distinction between human and animal communication, as animals cannot lie or invent non-existent things.

Reflexiveness: Humans can use language to discuss language itself. This unique feature allows humans to describe language, discuss its structure, and share ideas about it, unlike animal communication.

Learnability: Language can be taught and learned. Speakers can learn multiple languages, with young children acquiring language easily, although acquisition becomes more difficult after a critical period.

Design Features in Animal Communication

Hockett differentiated language from general communication, defining language as a communication system possessing all the characteristics mentioned above. While many animals communicate, only systems with all these features qualify as language. Some animal communication systems exhibit a notable number of these design features.

Ants: Ants use the chemical-olfactory channel, producing pheromones to communicate various messages, such as food location, danger, colony defense, and relocation. Queen ants use special pheromones to signal their status and manage colony activities. Ants also engage in warfare, displaying tactics that suggest intricate communication.

Birds: Bird communication includes the vocal-auditory channel, broadcast transmission/directional reception, rapid fading, semanticity, and arbitrariness. Bird communication is divided into songs (used to attract mates) and calls (used to alert others to food, danger, and coordinate movement). Bird communication is both discrete and continuous, using syntax to arrange songs with musical notes acting as phonemes. Birds have a limited number of songs and unique dialects. Some species, like the Southern Pied Blabber and the Japanese Tit, exhibit duality of patterning.

Honeybees: Honeybees use the space-movement channel, employing dances like the round dance, waggle dance, and transitional dance to communicate food location. The waggle dance, for example, indicates the direction and distance of food through specific movements. Honeybee dancing demonstrates displacement, as bees can communicate about food sources over 100 meters away, even without being physically present.