A Brief Account of Abstract and Concrete Elements of Language

Purpose: What do abstract elements of language refer to and how they can be distinguished from concrete ones is the main concern of this paper. Method: The study is mainly descriptive where previous and related studies are reviewed and presented to reach a view about abstract and concrete elements of language. Results: Whatever spoken and written is concrete element of language and whatever processed and acquired or learnt is abstract element of language. Linguistic elements before use are abstract and when being used they turn into concrete ones. Conclusions: Our stored linguistic and mental abilities are to be taken as the abstract element(s) of language, yet our attempt and desire to use the stored linguistic and mental abilities and put them into actions are the concrete element(s) of language.