Language can be defined as a complex system made up of different patterns (made up of multiple symbols and sounds) that are put together and used for communication, however the structure of these patterns vary around the world, depending on your culture and your community.
If we're being honest, there is not solely one way of using a word; many words in the dictionary are homonyms, homophones or heteronyms - meaning that one word can be used differently in different contexts.
An example of this is the word lie- the word lie holds 2 different meanings.
lie: untruth
lie: lay down
This shows that people may mistaken our use of a word for a different meaning, for example if someone states that they "did lie"- implying that they did lay down, people may mistaken it for them lying (not telling the truth)- therefore, this is why language is defined as a COMPLEX system!
This confusion is displayed in diverse cultures, as I previously stated that language can vary in different cultures- this leads us to think that perhaps our culture does shape our identity and our use of language. An example of this is extracted from an advertisement for donkey rides in Bali- "Would you like to ride on your own ass?"- before understanding the actual meaning, many people (from other cultures) may attribute it to be something completely different.
Language is actually something that is completely made up, it was something that has been manufactured by humans, throughout time, in result of different events in history; for example the English Language has evolved overtime, in result of different battles and invasions (e.g. the Norman Invasion and the Death of Shakespeare...)
