Here's a breakdown:
* Arbitrary: There's no inherent connection between the sound and the meaning. The word "dog" could just as easily have been "woof" or "canis".
* Vocal: We primarily use our voices to produce these symbols, although sign language uses visual symbols.
* Symbols: These sounds represent something else, whether it's an object, action, or concept.
* System: Language is organized and structured. There are rules for combining these symbols (grammar) and for understanding their meaning (semantics).
The social group cooperating is the speech community. This is the group of people who share a common language and understand its conventions. They are the ones who have agreed on the arbitrary meanings of words, the rules of grammar, and the nuances of interpretation.
Without this shared understanding, communication would be impossible.
For example:
* The English word "dog" represents the furry animal in English-speaking communities.
* In Spanish, the word "perro" represents the same animal.
* These are just different arbitrary symbols that both groups have agreed upon to represent the same concept.
This shared system of arbitrary symbols allows for communication, understanding, and cultural transmission within a speech community.