linguistics

noun

lin·​guis·​tics liŋ-ˈgwi-stiks 

plural in form but singular in construction

: the study of human speech including the units, nature, structure, and modification of language

Did you know?

Any analysis of language, including 8th-grade grammar, can be called linguistics. As recently as 200 years ago, ordinary grammar was about the only kind of linguistics there was. Today a linguist may be a person who learns foreign languages, but the term usually refers to people who devote themselves to analyzing the structure of language. Many linguists concentrate on the history of a language; others study the way children learn to speak; others analyze the sounds of a language—and still others just study English grammar, a subject so big that you could easily spend your entire life on it.

Examples of linguistics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In linguistics and speech pathology, rhotacization means changing some consonant like /d/ or /l/ to an /r/. —Kyle Hill, Discover Magazine, 11 Mar. 2014

In linguistics, the term syncope refers to a moment when a letter — typically a vowel — is omitted in the pronunciation of a word. —Devin Kelly, Longreads, 26 Jan. 2023

Dennis Preston, a professor of linguistics at the University of Kentucky, said responsible speech research takes into account the differences among age, race and more. —Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2023

Deeming her a pioneer and an inspiration for his work, Crowell considers de Laguna’s success to be an outcome of her interest in archaeology, linguistics and anthropology. —Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, 8 Feb. 2021

Word History

Etymology

linguist(ic) + -ics, probably after German Linguistik or French linguistique (itself probably after the German word)

Note: The word linguistic in the sense "linguistics" is attested slightly earlier (1825). German Linguistik in the approximate sense "knowledge of languages" is attested as early as 1778, in Einleitung in die Bücherkunde, 2. Theil, Literargeschicht (Vienna, 1778) by the Austrian priest and writer Michael Denis (1729-1800). The usual equivalent of linguistics in nineteenth- and twentieth-century German is Sprachwissenschaft.

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

linguistics

noun

lin·​guis·​tics liŋ-ˈgwis-tiks 

: the study of human speech including the units, nature, structure, and development of language, languages, or a language