Language is a form of human communication that can be expressed verbally, be written down, or gestured. I think language is different from communication because it is a specific category (which can get even more specific) within the broader term of communication. It is like saying “all medicines are drugs, but not all drugs are medicines.” For example, we are able to communicate through imagery and symbols, which is a method that predates the concept of language we know today. In the past humankind has used hieroglyphs and pectorals to communicate with one another and today we use symbols on signs and designs like posters, and cards which are often paired with written language.

I believe that language is related to symbols and iconography because they are a precursor to contemporary language and that they can go hand-in-hand with one another. To illustrate, in the Saussure reading he mentions how an image of a tree has an associative bond with arbor, the latin word for tree, uniting a concept and sound-image (word) which creates a sign. Another example is when Saussure replaces concept and sound-image with “signified” (something that is expressed) and “signifier” (something that is used to point out another thing) which to me shows the close connection between imagery and language.

The relationship between imagery and language is also emphasized in the Language of Dreams section of the Lupton & Miller readings. An example they provided is airport-moji, a system in place of the Latin alphabet if it did not exist. It is represented with a chart divided in two categories, pictographs and ideograms. On the pictograph side they point out how pictographs can conjure up something literal and specific, like a key over a car can mean a car is dreaming about a key. While on the ideogram side, the symbols can represent a concept or idea (and something a bit broader) which is a bit more in line with the Saussure reading, except it is in reverse. For example, with the car and keys it can mean car key, parking, or “please lock your cars”, but it actually means car rental. In this case the car and keys is the “signifier” the interpretation as the “signified”, and its actual meaning as the “sign”.