1. Communication: This is the primary purpose of all languages. They serve as a means to exchange ideas, information, and emotions.
2. Sound System: All languages have a set of sounds, known as phonemes, that are used to form words. The specific phonemes and their combinations vary greatly, but the concept of using sounds to create meaning is universal.
3. Grammar: Every language has a set of rules, known as grammar, that govern the way words are combined to form sentences and convey meaning. These rules can be explicit or implicit, but they provide the framework for understanding and generating language.
4. Vocabulary: Languages have a lexicon, or vocabulary, which is the set of words used to represent concepts and objects. While vocabularies differ greatly in size and content, all languages have words for basic concepts like "person," "food," and "water."
5. Semantics: The study of meaning in language is known as semantics. All languages have a system of meaning, linking words to concepts and understanding the relationships between words and the world.
6. Pragmatics: This deals with how context influences language use. Languages differ in their politeness conventions, levels of formality, and the way they use language to achieve specific goals.
7. Evolution and Change: Languages are constantly evolving, changing over time due to various factors like contact with other languages, social and cultural changes, and technological advancements.
8. Hierarchical Structure: Languages have a hierarchical structure, with smaller units like phonemes combining to form words, which in turn combine to form phrases and clauses, ultimately creating complete sentences.
9. Human Universal Grammar: Some linguists believe there is a Universal Grammar, an innate set of principles governing all human languages. This suggests that certain fundamental aspects of grammar are universal and shared by all languages.
10. Creativity: Languages allow for the creation of new expressions, ideas, and meanings. This creativity is essential for language to adapt to changing contexts and evolve.
While languages have differences in their sound systems, vocabulary, and grammatical structures, their underlying principles of communication, structure, and human ingenuity make them fundamentally connected.