a given culture or subculture.6 A word does not have meaning; it is assigned meaning through cultural convention and usage. The first element of a word is the sign, the collection of symbols that comprise a word. For example, the English word “paraclete” is made up of nine alphabetic symbols. These symbols allow us to identify and pronounce the word. If we know the symbols and the coding patterns of the language, then we can understand the meaning. The second element of a word is sense, which is