Definition:Language

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Definition

A language is a tool for the transmission and communication of information.


Natural Language

A natural language is one of the conventional, everyday languages in which people usually communicate.


Although there are many natural languages in the world, we are not generally going to distinguish between them, merely lumping them all into the one concept.

When natural language is referred to on $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$, it will usually mean English.


Formal Language

A formal language is a structure $\LL$ which comprises:

A set of symbols $\AA$ called the alphabet of $\LL$
A collation system with the unique readability property for $\AA$
A formal grammar that determines which collations belong to the formal language and which do not.


Also see

  • Results about languages can be found here.


Sources