Nebulous concepts that embody so much.
Nebulous because they defy simple definition. I mean there's always going to be the dictionary definition, but what language, culture, and a host of other ideas embody is hard to pin down because it is constantly changing. There are rules but language and culture are creative. There can be a ripple in the rules that permanently change the thing.
I see concepts (ideas?) such as language and culture as clay or something a little more elastic where a nudge may cause a ripple, but a strong enough force (whether one big force or tiny and repetitive force in one location) changes the shape of the thing. Slang enters the realm of dictionary language and is eventually absorbed into the "norm."
These things are three-dimensional and change according to circumstance. It's fascinating.
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