2021-07-232021-07-232013-06MARRA, Daniel; MILANI, Sebastião Elias. Reflexões acerca do conceito de língua como uma instituição social em William Dwight Whitney. Cadernos do IL, n. 46, Porto Alegre, p. 129-147, jun. 2013.e- 2236-6385http://repositorio.bc.ufg.br/handle/ri/19709This article deals with the concept of language as a social institution tributary to William Dwight Whitney (1827-1894). His thought about the nature of language represented a turning point in linguistic studies. Postulating that language was a social institution, Whitney, contradicting innatist theories, insisted that language is a human creation as all other social institutions. This would be the reason why language is constantly changing. Changes that would arise primarily in the speakers of a language, as they reflect on themselves as individuals and as members of a society. Two related processes would be involved: the change of speakers would cause change in language; language changes and such change would reflect a change in speakers.porAcesso Abertohttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/WhitneyLanguageLínguaMudança linguísticaInstituição socialSocial institutionLanguage changeArtigo10.22456/2236-6385.35837