Define Langue.

"Langue" is a concept introduced by Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure in his structuralist theory of language. It refers to the underlying, systematic structure or framework of a language that governs its rules, conventions, and norms. Langue is the abstract, synchronic (at a specific point in time) aspect of language that exists as a structured system of signs.

In Saussurean linguistics, Langue is distinguished from "Parole," which represents the actual instances of individual speech acts or utterances. While Parole pertains to the concrete, individual use of language in specific contexts, Langue is the more abstract, overarching system that enables linguistic communication within a particular linguistic community.

Langue encompasses the grammar, syntax, phonology, and vocabulary that constitute the rules and norms of a language. It provides the framework within which linguistic signs acquire meaning through their differential relationships within the system. Saussure's distinction between Langue and Parole is foundational to structuralist approaches to linguistics and has influenced various fields, including semiotics and literary theory, in understanding the deeper structures and patterns that shape language.