language

Introduction
Characteristics of language
- Definitions of language
- Historical attitudes toward language
- Ways of studying language
  - Phonetics and phonology
  - Grammar
  - Semantics
Language variants
- Dialects
- Jargon
- Pidgins and creoles
- Nonverbal language
  - Sign language
  - Paralinguistics
  - Symbolic and computer language
Physiological and physical basis of speech
- Speech production
- Language acquisition
Meaning and style in language
- Types of meaning
  - Structural, or grammatical, meaning
  - Lexical meaning
- Semantic flexibility
  - General and specific designations
  - Neologisms
- Language and conceptualization
- Style
Language and culture
- Transmission of language and culture
- Language and social differentiation and assimilation
- The control of language for cultural ends
  - Second-language learning
  - Nationalistic influences on language
  - Translation
  - Messages and codes
- Language learning
  - Bilingualism
  - Literacy
- Written language
  - Evolution of writing systems
  - Spelling
  - Written versus spoken languages
Linguistic change
- Diversification of languages
  - Changes through time
  - Changes through geographical movement
  - Tendencies against change
- Language typology

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Collage spells "African American English" in cutout letters; at right, a large open mouth, a hand with megaphone, and chat bubbles with laptop.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder: The Tower of Babel

American Sign Language

human vocal organs and points of articulation

tongue position for vowel sounds

How does the human brain process language?

Global use of the English language

What is simultaneous interpretation?

For Students

default image

language summary

language

Written by

Written by Robert Henry Robins, David CrystalAll

Fact-checked by

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Sep. 23, 2025 •Article History

language, a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release. Many definitions of language have been proposed. Henry Sweet, an English phonetician and language scholar, stated: “Language is the expression of ideas by means of speech-sounds combined into words....

Continue reading with Britannica Premium

The trusted destination for facts and information

7-Day Free Trial, No Ads, Unlimited Access

Subscribe Today