What is the study of linguistics concerned with?

The study of linguistics is primarily concerned with the properties and meaning of language. This encompasses various subfields, including syntax (the structure of sentences), semantics (the meaning of words and sentences), phonetics (the sounds of language), and pragmatics (the context of language use). By examining these elements, linguists aim to understand how language functions, how it is structured, and how it conveys meaning in communication.

Other aspects, such as the pronunciation of words, the art of storytelling, and the history of written language, represent narrower scopes or specialized fields that fall under the wider umbrella of linguistics but do not define it as a whole. Thus, option C captures the comprehensive nature of linguistic study, making it the most accurate choice.