M.A.K. Halliday’s "Language as Social Semiotic" (1978) defines language as a dynamic "meaning potential" used to negotiate social reality rather than a static set of rules. The theory introduces three core metafunctions—ideational, interpersonal, and textual—to explain how language constructs experience and social relationships within specific contexts. For a detailed breakdown, read the Linguistically blog post at Linguistically Substack .