In this essay, the author investigates the possibility of identifying particular systems of language (discourse and syntax) in electroacoustic music. He defines and discusses mimetic musical discourse, aural musical discourse, abstract syntax and abstracted syntax. He then combines all four categories into a language grid that can be used to analyse works as particular discourse/syntax dominant types. He also notes that this approach can be used to illustrate more clearly some of the fundamental differences between musique concrète and elektronische Musik.