Linguistics and the 'language' of design

Although the rich metaphor of design as language is widely recognised, the linguistic concepts considered have generally been limited. By drawing cautiously on the wider array of concepts developed in linguistics, it is possible to enliven the design process and enlighten its products. In this article, basic concepts from both fields are reviewed, and the suitability of the language metaphor is considered, particularly in relation to landscape architecture. Specific principles from linguistics are explored for how they might apply to landscape design. Concepts with potential for use in design include: agreement, redundancy, units of meaning, contextuality, universality, persistence, membership and values carried by language