Language is defined as a process whereby individuals use structured sounds, symbols or gestures to pass information that may contain thought...
Language is defined as a process whereby individuals use structured sounds, symbols or gestures to pass information that may contain thoughts, emotions or even ideas. It is a way of communication and interaction, as well as knowledge sharing and identity reflection.
Language is typically defined by three main components:
- Phonology: Phonetics, or the study of the distinctive sounds of a language, and how those sounds are articulated and acoustic.
- Syntax: Covers the restrictions regarding the structure formation of the sentences and phrases.
- Semantics: In semantics, general semantics refers to the meaning of words and how they are joined to make meaning.
Two more areas of linguistic study are also recognized: pragmatics (the language in use) and morphology (the study of the shape and structure of words).
Scholarly Definition
American linguist Noam Chomsky defines language as “a set of (finite or infinite) sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements” (Chomsky, 1957).
Reference
Chomsky, N. (1957). Syntactic Structures. Mouton.
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