The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word METALANGUAGE
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "set of linguistic symbols" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case set of linguistic symbols = metalanguage.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does METALANGUAGE mean?
METALANGUAGE noun- (critical theory) Any language or vocabulary of specialized terms used to describe or analyze a language or linguistic process.
- Any similar language used to define a programming language.