Which of the following is NOT listed as a language property?

• A. Arbitrary, Iconic, Rule Governed
• B. Change over Time, Can Be Manipulated, Shared Community
• C. Silent, Rigid, Universal
• D. Introduces New Ideas, Can Be Manipulated, and Is Iconic

Answer: (C)

Language is a system people use to communicate ideas, built from features like arbitrariness, the presence of iconic elements, and a rule-governed structure. It also changes over time, is shared within a community, and can be shaped to introduce new ideas. The idea that language is silent clashes with how communication works—sign and spoken languages both convey meaning, with signs or sounds making communication visible or audible. The notion that language is rigid conflicts with how languages evolve: new signs and grammatical patterns emerge, borrow from other languages, and adapt to users’ needs. The belief that language is universal is also inaccurate in practice, since there are many different languages and dialects around the world, with no single language shared by all people. Because of these mismatches, the description that lists language as silent, rigid, and universal does not reflect language properties.