The article is devoted to philosophical reflection on the role of language in social interactions. The concept of language is considered in this article from a functional point of view. Criticism of the substantive interpretation of the language in semiotics and the philosophy of pragmatism provides the basis of such an approach. Relevance of this study is that semiotic and pragmatic approaches are seen as complementary, and their conclusions suggest the possibility of reconstruction of leading role of individual in establishing of social interactions.