Synopsis The word "Linguistics' has been derived from Latin lingua (tongue) and istics (knowledge or science). Etymologically, therefore, linguistics is the scientific study of language. But it is the study not of one particular language but of human language in general. It studies language as a universal and recognizable part of human behaviour. It attempts to describe and analyze language. The field of linguistics comprises understanding of the place of language in human life, the ways in which it is organized to fulfil the needs it serves, and the functions it performs.