Languages

Definition

Languages are systems of communication used by humans to express thoughts, ideas, emotions, and information. They involve complex sets of rules for sounds (phonetics), word formation (morphology), sentence structure (syntax), and meaning (semantics).

Related terms

Official language: The language(s) designated by a country's government for official purposes such as legislation, administration, or education.

Endangered languages: Languages that are at risk of disappearing because they are no longer being learned by new generations.

Linguistic diversity: The variety of languages spoken in a particular region or the world as a whole.