The needs of the language user might be represented as in Figure 2.

After all, he said, this is New York, land of loose language users.

A dictionary, for example, does not record meanings which are within the competence of all language users.

More than 6 000 000 people (including second language users) speak it.

Individual language users operate within a system of meaning that is given to them from outside.

Meaning is therefore not fully under the control of the individual language user.

The first-generation language users also took longer to make a decision, and reported that they struggled with the task.

Many English language users no not use the name changes made by the military government.

And this point is independent of the number of private language users there are.

Meaning shifts are very common among language users, and allow for great flexibility of word usage.