Langue or langage? These two French words, both so similar in meaning, are in fact very particular in terms of how and when you use them. At first, I thought the distinction was quite clear, but as I dig deeper into examples and definitions, I find that the relationship between these two words is complex and highly nuanced. They function rather like the two lenses in a pair of glasses; you can close one eye for a moment and look through only one lens or the other, but looking through both together gives us a rich, in-depth view of what "language" really is.
Langue means both the "tongue" in your mouth and the "language" you speak--similar to archaic English, in which we also used the word "tongue" to refer to spoken language. (We still use it occasionally in that sense: for example, when we talk about the religious experience of "speaking in tongues.") Basically, any world language that you can name--Chinese, Arabic, Swahili, French, etc.--is a langue.
Langue means both the "tongue" in your mouth and the "language" you speak--similar to archaic English, in which we also used the word "tongue" to refer to spoken language. (We still use it occasionally in that sense: for example, when we talk about the religious experience of "speaking in tongues.") Basically, any world language that you can name--Chinese, Arabic, Swahili, French, etc.--is a langue.
