Linguistics is the scientific study of language — its structure, use, and the principles underlying it. Unlike traditional grammar (which prescribes 'correct' usage), linguistics is descriptive: it studies how language actually functions and is used by speakers.

Major branches:

• ›Phonetics & Phonology: study of sounds
• ›Morphology: study of word formation
• ›Syntax: study of sentence structure
• ›Semantics: study of meaning
• ›Pragmatics: study of meaning in context

• ›Ferdinand de Saussure's distinction between langue (the abstract system of a language) and parole (actual speech) is foundational to modern linguistics
• ›Synchronic study examines a language at one point in time; diachronic study examines how it changes over time