Language:
* The thing itself: Language is a system of communication, consisting of sounds, words, and grammar that humans use to express themselves and interact with others.
* Examples: English, Spanish, Mandarin, American Sign Language, etc.
* Focus: The actual spoken or written expressions, vocabulary, and sentence structures.
Linguistics:
* The study of language: Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It aims to understand how language works, its structure, its history, and its use in society.
* Examples: Phonetics (study of sounds), Morphology (study of word formation), Syntax (study of sentence structure), Semantics (study of meaning), Pragmatics (study of language use in context)
* Focus: The principles, patterns, and processes underlying human language.
Think of it this way:
* Language is the car. It's the actual object, something you can drive and use.
* Linguistics is the manual. It explains how the car works, its parts, and how to use it.
In essence, language is the object of study for linguistics. Linguists use scientific methods to analyze and understand the complexities of language.