linguistics
linguistics — noun
1. the academic field that studies how human languages are built, how they change o
the academic field that studies how human languages are built, how they change over time, and how they work as systems of communication
Ziad decided to study linguistics after growing up speaking Arabic and French at home.
collocation: study linguistics
Professor Gita’s latest paper in linguistics examines how toddlers learn question words.
collocation: paper in linguistics
Modern linguistics uses computer programs to find patterns across hundreds of languages.
A linguistics degree opened many doors for Ari, who now works as a translator.
The students in Otis’s linguistics class recorded native speakers for their final project.
- language science
a more general, cross-disciplinary term used in psychology, computer science, and education
- philology
focuses specifically on historical written texts and literary sources, while modern linguistics covers spoken language and cognitive processes
- glottology
a rare, technical synonym from 19th-century scholarship; almost never used in modern writing
用法筆記
Linguistics is an uncountable noun that takes a singular verb, even though it ends in –s. It refers to the entire field of study, not individual languages.