Language:

• A system of communications
  
  
• Codes of symbols whose uses and interpretations are agreed upon among its speakers
  
  
• Consisits of:
  
  
  • Vocabulary (lexicon)
    
    
  • Meaningful units (morphemes)
    
    
  • Sound segments (phonetic entities)
    
    
  • Conventions of sounds (phonology)
    
    
  • Conventions of combinations and uses of meaningful units (morphology)
    
    
  • Conventions on how to combine words to form larger structural units such as clauses and sentences (syntax)
    
    
  • Conventions on organizations and interpretations of meanings (semantics)
    
    
  • Conventions on uses of connected utterances in context (discourse and pragmatics)
    
    
• Uses and interpretations are negotiated among the users and change through time
  
  
• Two views on language: rule or form oriented vs. use or function orietned