What rules guide language?

Regulative and constitutive

Communication and constitution

Regulation and communication

Communication and regulative

All of the listed options are correct to some extent, as they are interconnected.

Language is governed by various rules that can be categorized into two main types: regulative rules and constitutive rules.

Regulative rules refer to the guidelines that regulate how language is used in specific social contexts. They can include rules about politeness, turn-taking, and appropriate topics of conversation. These rules help to ensure smooth and effective communication between individuals or within a group.

Constitutive rules, on the other hand, are the underlying principles that establish the meaning and function of language. They determine how words and linguistic elements are structured and used to convey meaning. Constitutive rules include grammatical rules, phonological rules, and semantic rules, among others. These rules provide the foundation for language itself and enable effective communication.

Therefore, language is both influenced by regulative rules, which regulate its use in specific social contexts, and constitutive rules, which constitute the meaning and function of language. It is through the combination of communication and regulation that language is shaped and guided.