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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