Thoughts On Language
Did you know that there are over 7000 languages spoken in the world today? One third of all these languages has less than 1000 speakers. According to UNESCO, 40% of these languages are at risk of extinction.
We don’t think about it too much in our modern world. It may feel that there are only a few languages that exist because of our lens. Different languages are great for human culture. It helps preserve things. Just as in the past, smart scholars and historians knew the value of writing things down. Not just for future generations, but also so they wouldn’t forget. Processes and traditions are methods to accomplish something. Almost like a recipe. This is one of the reasons traditions birthed themselves in culture was to achieve a specific outcome that was discovered or to not forget where something came from. Just like honoring someone who impacted a culture for the good. We don’t want to forget where we came from. Oral traditions, folklore, and cultural practices are often transmitted through language. By speaking and passing on the language of their ancestors, communities can maintain their cultural heritage and ensure that valuable knowledge is preserved for future generations.
Language is constantly evolving. The English we know today is very different than the English 300 years ago (think thine, thou, etc). The printing press, mixing of cultures (adoption of new words into nomenclature) and human’s ability to make speaking easier, leads to change in language and communication.
Languages are unique. Uniqueness is good for the human spirit. Language shapes how people perceive and understand the world around them. Different languages often contain unique words, expressions, and concepts that reflect specific cultural beliefs, practices, and traditions. For example, certain indigenous cultures may have specific words to describe their relationships with nature or aspects of their spirituality that are not easily translatable into other languages. Studies have suggested that language can influence how people think and process information. This concept, known as linguistic relativity or the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests that the structure of a language can shape the way individuals perceive and interpret the world.
The Hebrew language was extinct for 1000s of years.
That’s right it was dead. Once a language is gone, it usually never comes back. Expect for one: Hebrew. It was extinct for two millennia but Jewish settlers to Palestine in the early 20th centuries spoke different languages back in Europe and they adopted Hebrew on their arrival as their common language. It became Israel’s official language when the country was fully established in 1948 and now has seven million speakers. Now Hebrew is the world’s only fully revived language but others are trying. For example, Cornish, spoken in southwestern England, died out two centuries ago but today there are several hundred speakers of the revived language (good luck).
Language is incredibly important to culture and plays a central role in shaping and preserving it. The relationship between language and culture is symbiotic, as each influences and enriches the other in numerous ways
Language is a key component of individual and collective identity. People often identify strongly with the language they speak, and it becomes a defining feature of their cultural heritage. Speaking the same language creates a sense of belonging to a particular cultural group and helps individuals relate to each other on a deeper level. This correlates with the work of Johan Skytte for the Nordic Political Science Association in 2007. His paper, E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century, talks about the reduction of social solidarity and social capital through immigration and diversity. Language within cultures (even outside of their country) creates a bonding capital which evokes trust amongst the groups. Even more so when there is an emphasis and preservation of tradition that connects groups. According to the paper, diversity and language gaps triggered social isolation. People living in ethnically diverse settings appear to hunker down and isolate themselves. They turn inward and become more selfish, less interested in contributing to their communities. A shared language fosters unity and cooperation within a community. It facilitates collaboration, social bonding, and collective action, contributing to a stronger sense of social cohesion.
When I was in Sweden earlier this year, I met an American who immigrated to Sweden in 1998 to marry his wife who was living in Stockholm. He said it was incredibly hard to gain Swedish citizenship. They are very particular about preserving their culture. He mentioned it took well over a decade and he went through rigorous meetings (sometimes surprise visits) before he was admitted.
I forgot to ask him if he learned the Swedish language. I’m sure he did. I do remember I really liked his hat. Swedish fashion sense is off the charts.
