The contents are described in the following table from the bottom to the top of the table in order of increasing complexity. Table headers are:
Unit; Rule; Example.
Sound; Phoneme, basic sound units; d-i-s-a-g-r-ee-a-b-u-l.
Meaning; Morpheme, the smallest unit of language that carries meaning; The word disagreeable is shown broken into three syllables labeled, 3 morphemes. The word disagreeable shows a cross mark through the syllable dis-, and a caption reads, Notice how changing one morpheme alters a word’s meaning.
Rules; Grammar Syntax, how words can be combined; I am agreeable. vs. Agreeable, I am.
Rules, Grammar; Semantics, content, rules affecting meaning; He has an agreeable baby. vs. Baby, he is agreeable.
Culture; Pragmatics, social rules, such as expression; A photo shows a butler holding a tray of cupcakes, a speech bubble reads, Can I offer you some pancakes?
Abstraction; Displacement, ability to refer to things not present; I was thinking of pie instead.