if we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world. ludwig wittgenstein
TRANSCRIPT
If we spoke a If we spoke a different different
language, we language, we would perceive a would perceive a
somewhat somewhat different world.different world.
Ludwig Ludwig WittgensteinWittgenstein
Language shapes Language shapes the way we think, the way we think, and determines and determines
what we can what we can think about. think about.
Benjamin WhorfBenjamin Whorf
One does not One does not inhabit a country; inhabit a country;
one inhabits a one inhabits a language. That is language. That is our country, our our country, our
fatherland --and no fatherland --and no other. other.
E.M. CioranE.M. Cioran
I do not mind I do not mind what language an what language an opera is sung in opera is sung in
so long as it is an so long as it is an language I do not language I do not
understand. understand. Sir Edward Sir Edward AppletonAppleton
All official institutions of All official institutions of
language are repeatinglanguage are repeating machines: school, sports, machines: school, sports,
advertising, popular advertising, popular songs, news, all songs, news, all
continually repeat the continually repeat the same structure, the same same structure, the same meaning, often the same meaning, often the same words: the stereotype is a words: the stereotype is a political fact, the major political fact, the major
figure of ideology.figure of ideology. Roland BarthesRoland Barthes
Because language is Because language is the carrier of ideas, the carrier of ideas, it is easy to believe it is easy to believe
that it should be very that it should be very little else than such a little else than such a
carrier.carrier. Louise BoganLouise Bogan
There is no such thing There is no such thing as an ugly language. as an ugly language. Today I hear every Today I hear every
language as if it were language as if it were the only one, and when the only one, and when
I hear of one that is I hear of one that is dying, it overwhelms dying, it overwhelms me as though it were me as though it were
the death of the earth.the death of the earth. Elias CanettiElias Canetti
Language is a process of Language is a process of free creation; its laws and free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but principles are fixed, but the manner in which the the manner in which the principles of generation principles of generation
are used is free and are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of interpretation and use of words involves a process words involves a process
of free creation.of free creation. Noam ChomskyNoam Chomsky
It is still not enough for It is still not enough for language to have clarity language to have clarity
and content... it must also and content... it must also have a goal and an have a goal and an
imperative. Otherwise imperative. Otherwise from language we from language we
descend to chatter, from descend to chatter, from chatter to babble and chatter to babble and
from babble to confusion.from babble to confusion. Rene DaumalRene Daumal
The living language is The living language is like a cowpath: it is the like a cowpath: it is the
creation of the cows creation of the cows
themselves,themselves, who, having who, having created it, follow it or created it, follow it or
depart from it according depart from it according to their whims or their to their whims or their needs. From daily use, needs. From daily use,
the path undergoes the path undergoes change. A cow is under change. A cow is under
no obligation to stay.no obligation to stay. E.B. WhiteE.B. White
A mind A mind enclosed in enclosed in
language is in language is in prison.prison.
Simone WeilSimone Weil
Man invented Man invented language to language to satisfy his satisfy his
deep need to deep need to complain.complain.
Lily TomlinLily Tomlin
Language can only Language can only deal meaningfully deal meaningfully
with a special, with a special, restricted segment restricted segment of reality. The rest, of reality. The rest,
and it is presumably and it is presumably the much larger the much larger part, is silence. part, is silence. George SteinerGeorge Steiner
A linguistic A linguistic system is a series system is a series of differences of of differences of sound combined sound combined with a series of with a series of differences of differences of
ideas. ideas. Ferdinand De Ferdinand De
SausurreSausurre
Language ought Language ought to be the joint to be the joint
creation of poets creation of poets and manual and manual
workers. workers.
George OrwellGeorge Orwell
There is in every child a There is in every child a painstaking teacher, so painstaking teacher, so skilful that he obtains skilful that he obtains identical results in all identical results in all children in all parts of children in all parts of
the world. The only the world. The only language men ever speak language men ever speak perfectly is the one they perfectly is the one they learn in babyhood, when learn in babyhood, when no one can teach them no one can teach them
anything!anything! Maria MontessoriMaria Montessori
An art whose medium An art whose medium is language will always is language will always show a high degree of show a high degree of critical creativeness, critical creativeness, for speech is itself a for speech is itself a
critique of life: it critique of life: it names, it names, it
characterizes, it characterizes, it passes judgment, in passes judgment, in
that it creates. that it creates. Thomas MannThomas Mann
No literature is No literature is complete until complete until the language it the language it was written in is was written in is
dead. dead. Henry Wadsworth Henry Wadsworth
LongfellowLongfellow
Language is a Language is a form of human form of human reason, which reason, which
has its internal has its internal logic of which logic of which
man knows man knows nothing. nothing.
Claude Levi StraussClaude Levi Strauss
The eyes have The eyes have one language one language everywhere.everywhere.
George HerbertGeorge Herbert
Those who know Those who know nothing of nothing of
foreign foreign languages, knows languages, knows nothing of their nothing of their
own. own. Wolfgang Johann Wolfgang Johann
GoetheGoethe
Language is a Language is a city to the city to the
building of which building of which every human every human
being brought a being brought a stone. stone.
Ralph Waldo Ralph Waldo EmersonEmerson
There is the fear, There is the fear, common to all common to all English-only English-only
speakers, that the speakers, that the chief purpose of chief purpose of
foreign languages is foreign languages is to make fun of us. to make fun of us.
Otherwise, you Otherwise, you know, why not just know, why not just
come out and say it? come out and say it? Barbara EhrenreichBarbara Ehrenreich
A special kind of A special kind of beauty exists which beauty exists which
is born in is born in language, of language, of
language, and for language, and for language. language.
Gaston BachelardGaston Bachelard
Everything can Everything can change, but not the change, but not the language that we language that we
carry inside us, like carry inside us, like a world more a world more
exclusive and final exclusive and final than one's than one's
mother's womb. mother's womb. Italo CalvinoItalo Calvino
To a teacher of To a teacher of languages there languages there
comes a time when comes a time when the world is but a the world is but a
place of many place of many words and man words and man appears a mere appears a mere
talking animal not talking animal not much more much more
wonderful than a wonderful than a parrot. parrot.
Joseph ConradJoseph Conrad
We dissect nature We dissect nature along lines laid along lines laid
down by our native down by our native language. language.
Language is not Language is not simply a reporting simply a reporting
device for device for experience but a experience but a
defining framework defining framework for it. for it.
Benjamin WhorfBenjamin Whorf
The English The English language is language is
nobody's special nobody's special property. It is the property. It is the property of the property of the
imagination: it is imagination: it is the property of the the property of the
language itself. language itself. Derek WalcottDerek Walcott
Man, even man debased by Man, even man debased by the neocapitalism and the neocapitalism and
pseudo socialism of our pseudo socialism of our time, is a marvelous being time, is a marvelous being
because he sometimes because he sometimes speaks. Language is the speaks. Language is the
mark, the sign, not of his mark, the sign, not of his fall but of his original fall but of his original
innocence. Through the innocence. Through the Word we may regain the lost Word we may regain the lost
kingdom and recover kingdom and recover powers we possessed in the powers we possessed in the
far-distant past.far-distant past. Octavio PazOctavio Paz
To write or even speak English To write or even speak English is not a science but an art. is not a science but an art.
There are no reliable words. There are no reliable words. Whoever writes English is Whoever writes English is
involved in a struggle that never involved in a struggle that never lets up even for a sentence. He lets up even for a sentence. He
is struggling against vagueness, is struggling against vagueness, against obscurity, against the against obscurity, against the
lure of the decorative adjective, lure of the decorative adjective, against the encroachment of against the encroachment of
Latin and Greek, and, above all, Latin and Greek, and, above all, against the worn-out phrases against the worn-out phrases
and dead metaphors with which and dead metaphors with which
the language is cluttered up.the language is cluttered up. George OrwellGeorge Orwell
Curiously enough, Curiously enough, it seems to be only it seems to be only
in describing a in describing a mode of language mode of language
which does not which does not mean what it says mean what it says
that one can that one can actually say what actually say what
one means. one means. Paul De ManPaul De Man
Language is an Language is an archeological archeological vehicle... the vehicle... the language we language we
speak is a whole speak is a whole palimpsest of palimpsest of
human effort and human effort and history. history. Russell HobanRussell Hoban
It is difficult for It is difficult for a woman to a woman to define her define her feelings in feelings in
language which language which is chiefly made is chiefly made
by men to by men to express theirs. express theirs. Thomas HardyThomas Hardy
Drawing on my Drawing on my fine command of fine command of the language, I the language, I said nothing. said nothing.
Robert BenchleyRobert Benchley
To have another To have another language is to language is to
possess a second possess a second soul. soul.
CharlemagneCharlemagne
Language is not Language is not only the vehicle only the vehicle
of thought, it is a of thought, it is a great and great and efficient efficient
instrument in instrument in thinking. thinking.
Sir Humphrey Sir Humphrey DaveyDavey
There is no such There is no such thing as the thing as the
Queen's English. Queen's English. The property has The property has
gone into the gone into the hands of a joint hands of a joint
stock company and stock company and we own the bulk of we own the bulk of
the shares! the shares! Samuel ClementsSamuel Clements
I wish life was not I wish life was not so short, he so short, he
thought. thought. Languages take Languages take
such a time, and so such a time, and so do all the things do all the things
one wants to know one wants to know about. about. J.R. TolkeinJ.R. Tolkein
A man of genius A man of genius has a right to any has a right to any
mode of mode of expression. expression.
Ezra PoundEzra Pound
Language is the only Language is the only instrument of instrument of
science, and words science, and words are but the signs of are but the signs of
ideas.ideas.
Samuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson
I speak two I speak two languages. languages. Body and Body and EnglishEnglish
Mae WestMae West
Syllables govern Syllables govern the world. the world.
John SeldonJohn Seldon
There was speech There was speech in their in their
dumbness, dumbness, language in their language in their
very gesture. very gesture.
William William ShakespeareShakespeare
It is of interest to note It is of interest to note that while some that while some
dolphins are reported dolphins are reported to have learned English to have learned English - up to fifty words used - up to fifty words used in correct context - no in correct context - no human being has been human being has been
reported to have reported to have learned dolphinese.learned dolphinese. Carl SaganCarl Sagan
Thanks to words, Thanks to words, we have been able we have been able to rise above the to rise above the
brutes; and thanks brutes; and thanks to words, we have to words, we have often sunk to the often sunk to the
level of the level of the demons. demons. Aldous HuxleyAldous Huxley
Language tethers Language tethers us to the world; us to the world;
without it we without it we spin like atoms. spin like atoms.
Penelope LivelyPenelope Lively
For every man For every man there is something there is something in the vocabulary in the vocabulary
that would stick to that would stick to him like a second him like a second skin. His enemies skin. His enemies
have only to find it. have only to find it. Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce
Language is a Language is a mixture of mixture of
statement and statement and evocation. evocation.
Elizabeth BowenElizabeth Bowen
We are getting into We are getting into semantics again. If semantics again. If
we use words, we use words, there is a very there is a very
grave danger they grave danger they will be will be
misinterpreted. misinterpreted. H.R. HaldermanH.R. Halderman
in every language in every language even deafanddumbeven deafanddumbthy sons acclaim thy sons acclaim
your glorious name your glorious name by gorryby gorry
by jing by gee by by jing by gee by gosh by gum gosh by gum
e.e. cummingse.e. cummings
And me happiest when I And me happiest when I compose poems:compose poems:
Love, power, the huzza Love, power, the huzza of battleof battle
are something, are are something, are much:much:
yet a poem includes yet a poem includes them like a poolthem like a pool
water and reflection.water and reflection. Irving LaytonIrving Layton
Language is Language is energy made energy made
visible.visible.
D. DeubelbeissD. Deubelbeiss
If language hadn’t If language hadn’t been possible, we’d been possible, we’d
of found another of found another way. Nature is of way. Nature is of
necessity and necessity and knows no nos.knows no nos.
D. DeubelbeissD. Deubelbeiss
Babble is one Babble is one way way
communication. communication. A closed bubble.A closed bubble.
D. DeubelbeissD. Deubelbeiss
In the beginning was In the beginning was “The Word”. Nobody “The Word”. Nobody knew what it meant knew what it meant
so we decided to talk so we decided to talk about it.about it.
D. DeubelbeissD. Deubelbeiss
Language is as Language is as much what is left much what is left out as what is left out as what is left in. And in that way in. And in that way
it is right.it is right.
D. DeubelbeissD. Deubelbeiss
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