This book offers a systematic introduction to the scientific study of human language, combining foundational concepts in linguistics with analytical tools from contemporary generative theory. It examines language as a structured cognitive system, addressing how sounds, words, and sentences are organized, acquired, and used in social contexts.

Core chapters introduce phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics, with sustained attention to sentence structure, agreement, argument structure, and syntactic movement. The book engages with key theoretical frameworks including Universal Grammar, X‑bar theory, and principles‑and‑parameters approaches.

Throughout, theoretical discussions are grounded in empirical illustration, with particular reference to Indian languages. Topics such as language variation, dialect continua, multilingualism, language policy, and language in education situate formal linguistic analysis within broader sociocultural debates.

Positioned between introductory surveys and advanced theoretical texts, it serves as a structured guide for linguists seeking access to core concepts, while supporting the development of analytical reasoning about language as both a cognitive faculty and a social practice.

Rajesh Kumar is Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign. His research focuses on generative syntax, negation, and the structure of South Asian languages, with broader interests in multilingualism, language and education, and sociolinguistic theory.