Languages
CRO considers a language to be a formal or semi-formal system consisting of:
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rules that define how symbols are to be used to create valid utterances;
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descriptions that establish the meaning of utterances.
The meaning of an utterance in a language depends on the referents of its utterances. A modelling language such as UML can be used to define abstract concepts, some of which may stand for real world entities.
Natural languages may be used to talk about anything, which is why they are the default communication method. However they lack formality, which is why interpretation often fails. Meaning is established via dictionaries that define word meanings.
Mathematics on the other hand, in its various branches, consists of multiple sub-languages, each constituting a fully self-referential formal system. Meaning is essentially established internally, with the exception of symbol definitions.