Language & Its Characteristics :

What is Language ?

Language is a system of words, sounds, and patterns used by human to communicate their ideas
emotions and feelings. In this way, language is a source of expression of ideas and thoughts by means of
speech sound. It is also a permanent, powerful, and convenient source and form of communication.
Language has been defined in different ways:

➢ A tool of communication.
➢ A knowledge that we know something which transmits its culture.
➢ An object that we can describe.

There are different languages in the world. Every language plays a vital role in our daily life. It enables
us to communicate and understand an subject

Purpose of Language :

It is necessary for us to learn a language because as a human being we cannot live alone in a society.
Through language, we can adjust ourselves in a society and then we can communicate and share our
ideas and feelings with other people. All human languages have the certain common characteristics and
features. The study of these common features of language highlights the working of various languages in
the society. The linguists have found the following characteristics of the language.

Characteristics :
1. Language is a Sound :

Language is an organization of sounds, verbal symbols. Speech is primary to writing but there are several
languages in the world which has no writing system but it enjoy the status of languages because they
are spoken. For example, music and singing are vocal sounds but they are not languages.
2. Language, means of communication :

According to Roman Jacobson, language is a means of communication because through language we can
share our ideas and feelings with other people. It also helps us to store knowledge and transfer this
knowledge and experience from one person to another person.

3. Language is Social :

Language is a set of conventional communicative signals used by human for communication in a society.
Language and society are closely related to each other. One can communicate with other people in a
society through language because it is a tool of communication. One thing is also very important that we
can speak only that language which is already spoken in the society.
4. Language and Displacement :

Human language has the ability to talk about the present, past, and future happenings. This ability is
called displacement. We can discuss about Iqbal and Shakespeare though they are no more with us. It
also enables us to discuss about the current affair. Thus, a language makes the displacement of ideas
possible.
 5. Language is Arbitrary :

Language is arbitrary in the sense that there is no relation between words of a language and their
meanings. The choice of words selected to a particular thing is purely arbitrary but once a word is
selected for a specific referent, it comes to stay as such.

Functions of Language :
Language is the most important tool of communication invented by human civilization. Language helps
us share our thoughts, and understand others. It’s hard to overestimate the importance of language for
our lives. Every time we speak, we do it with a particular purpose. Sometimes we want to deliver a
message, or express our feelings. We use language to ask for help, or just to say a joke.

Generally, there are five main functions of language, which are informational function, aesthetic
function, expressive, phatic, and directive functions. Any language is determined by a number of factors,
such as a social background, attitudes and origin of people. Language is always related to situation it is
used within. Every person has a certain social background, and this is what determines one’s language.

1. The Informational Function: can be considered most important, since it helps us

2. The Expressive Function: We need such function every time we want to express our
feelings. There are words that are used to express attitudes and feelings, which don’t
deliver any particular information. Obvious examples of such words are swear words, as
well as various exclamations. This function of language is used not to deliver a
message, but to express feelings and impressions. Due to the expressive function of
language, we can understand the personality of a speaker, and his or her emotions.
While the informational function can be illustrated on the example of an encyclopaedia
article, the expressive function is used in literature and poetry. Every time we say a
phrase like “I love this movie so much”, we don’t give a listener any particular information
about the subject of this sentence, except our feelings about it.

3. The Directive Function: is used to induce certain actions or reactions. The example of
such a function is a command. Another example of this function is a request. Here
affective and situational meanings of a phrase are more important than a general
meaning, which makes this function somewhat similar to the expressive function. The
directive function is a function of social control and interpersonal interaction. Another
feature of this function is that the reaction of a listener is even more important than a
thought expressed by a speaker, since this reaction determines whether such a phrase
achieved the target or not.
 Every time we ask someone to bring us something, it’s a directional use of
language. We motivate somebody and influence his or her behaviour in a certain way.
Sometimes directive sentences may express more than one function. For example, if
we say “I’m hungry”, it means both information about us, and a request for food. This
sentence also expresses our feelings, so this example represents three functions of
language in one short sentence.

4. The Aesthetic Function: This function doesn’t have any particular purpose.
Here words and sentences are considered as linguistic artefacts. This function
serves neither as a request nor as a message. The aesthetic function helps us
use words as a tool of a poetic art, and as certain signs. Here the beauty of
chosen words and phrases is more important than usefulness of this information.
For the sake of such a function, we use different adjectives, such as “gorgeous”,
“elegant”, “stunning”, and so on. According to Jacobson (1933), who studied this
function of language more than anyone else, the aesthetic function depends not
only on structure, but on cultural norms as well. He also gives an example of
such influence, comparing poems of Karel Macha, and diaries, as examples of
aesthetic functions applied by different generations.

5. The Phatic Function: The only purpose of such a function is to maintain social
relationships, and to begin, or continue the conversation. A well-known example from
British culture is a small talk about the weather. Such a kind of talk doesn’t provide us
with any necessary information. It even doesn’t express our feelings, but it helps us to
interact with people. Every time we meet somebody on the street, we can talk about the
weather, or work, or children, it doesn’t matter. The real reason for such a talk is not our
interest, but simply our desire to talk. Of course, such conversations may also contain
some interesting information, but it’s not necessary.

6. Referential Function: This function corresponds to the factor of Context and