What is the scientific study of language called?

The scientific study of language is called linguistics. This discipline encompasses various aspects of language, including its structure, meaning, and the ways that languages vary and change over time. It involves the analysis of language form, language meaning, and language in context, making it a comprehensive field that addresses how languages function and are constructed.

Psycholinguistics, while related, focuses specifically on the intersection of language and psychology, investigating how people understand, produce, and acquire language. Semantics deals with meaning in language, and sociolinguistics studies how social factors influence language use, including cultural and community contexts. Though all these fields contribute to our understanding of language, linguistics is the overarching scientific study that encompasses all aspects of language itself.