Define language and list five of its characteristics, explaining two with examples.

Here are the answers to questions 2a and 2b:

2a) Language is a system of communication used by humans, consisting of words, grammar, and pronunciation, through which individuals interact and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

2b)
Here are five characteristics of language:

1. Arbitrariness
2. Productivity (or Creativity)
3. Displacement
4. Duality of Patterning
5. Cultural Transmission

Explanation of two characteristics with examples:

• Arbitrariness: This means there is no inherent or logical connection between a word's sound or form and the object or concept it represents. For example, the word "dog" in English has no intrinsic connection to the animal itself; in French, it's "chien," and in Spanish, it's "perro." The relationship is purely conventional and agreed upon by speakers of that language.

• Productivity (or Creativity): Language allows speakers to create and understand an infinite number of new sentences from a finite set of words and rules. We can combine words in novel ways to express unique ideas that have never been uttered before. For instance, you can say "The purple elephant danced on the moon," even if you've never heard that exact sentence, and other English speakers will understand it.