Setting the scene

The first chapter provides the reader with a general overview of the discipline of linguistics. It introduces linguistics along with its main branches and approaches. Further, it touches on translation universals. It tries to answer the following questions ‘What is “language”?’, ‘What is the difference between a “linguist” and a “native speaker” of the language?’, ‘What is “linguistics”? And what are its main branches?’, ‘What is “formal linguistics”? And what are its main areas?’, ‘What is “interdisciplinary linguistics”?’, ‘What are the “linguistic universals”?’, ‘What are the main types of linguistic universals?’ and ‘What are the main types of “translation universals”, if any?’.