Langue

Langue is a term in linguistics used to describe the abstract, systematic set of conventions that underlie a language, viewed as a social product rather than merely a collection of individual utterances. Coined and developed by Ferdinand de Saussure, it denotes the shared rules, norms, and structures—grammar, syntax, phonology, and vocabulary—that a speech community uses to communicate. Langue is relatively stable, transmitted through socialization and education, and it evolves gradually as the community’s conventions shift.

In Saussurean theory, a linguistic sign consists of two components: the signifier (the sound or written form) and the signified (the concept). The meaning of signs arises from their relations within the langue rather than from any inherent link to objects in the world. Signs are largely arbitrary and defined by contrast with other signs in the system, a property that enables a wide latitude of change without destroying overall coherence.

Langue is contrasted with parole, the actual use of language in concrete speech situations. Parole consists of individual acts of speaking and writing and can vary across speakers and contexts, but it draws upon the underlying structure of langue. The distinction helps explain how languages can change over time while retaining a stable core system.

The concept has been influential in structuralism and semiotics, shaping analyses of how linguistic systems organize meaning. While some later theories critique or refine the idea, langue remains a foundational notion for understanding the collective, rule-governed nature of language.