Linguistics

Linguistics is the science of language. In using language, people employ principles of grammar, the complex and subtle rules of language use, without having to consciously know the principles. Part of the work of linguistics is to discover or establish those principles. Another part of the work of linguistics is to compare and contrast languages, their grammars, pronunciations, how meaning is created and how the languages are used. Modern linguistics emerged as a distinct field of study in the 19th century while colonialism was flourishing, world travel was increasing, and European cultures were encountering other cultures and languages. Linguists made an effort to study the languages that they were encountering. They have often been called upon to ease confrontations between cultures by helping people to learn foreign languages as quickly as possible.