Linguistics

Linguistics, scientific study of language in all its aspects. This includes, first, the physical and biological factors that are involved in speech. Secondly, it embraces the study of the structure of language, which includes its range of sounds (phonology), its grammatical structure (morphology and syntax), and the relation of words to what they mean (semantics). In comparative linguistics, the aim is to study the relationship between various languages, especially in terms of comparative grammar. At its most general, comparative linguistics leads to a search for those features common to all languages, which is really the philosophical problem of finding a universal grammar. Finally, linguistics considers how language is related to human activity in general, what its function is in the active life of a society, and its importance as a medium for handing down a cultural tradition.

See also: Language.