There's an case that can be made that "written language" is somewhat of a misnomer and that spoken language is to "written language" somewhat as music is to she

There's an case that can be made that "written language" is somewhat of a misnomer and that spoken language is to "written language" somewhat as music is to sheet music (or as chess is to chess notation), and so spoken language alone belongs to the proper subject matter of lingusitics. E.g. Saussure: > A language and its written form constitute two separate systems of signs. The sole reason for the existence of the latter is to represent the former. The object of study in linguistics is not a combination of the written word and the spoken word. The spoken word alone constitutes that object. But the written word is so intimately connected with the spoken word it represents that it manages to usurp the principal role. As much or even more importance is given to this representation of the vocal sign as to the vocal sign itself. Edit: Apparently there's a term for this view: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonocentrism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonocentrism