In my last post, I wrote about the connections between language and thought, ie. linguistic relativity / determinism. In today’s highly globalized world, languages get mixed and evolve at a much faster pace than ever before. English, for instance, is no longer only divided into British, American, Canadian and Australian English; we could say that there…
Tag: language
Languages: life, evolution, death and extinction
To call a language “dead” is often an exaggeration. Languages seldom really die; they evolve, and sometimes they fade out of usage. Latin, for instance, is usually deemed to be a dead language, but this is not the case. To begin with, Latin is still the official language of the Vatican, and while catholic functions…
Language: defining identity
In my previous post about language, I said that the ability to conceive and communicate complex thoughts is what sets humans apart from animals. I want to make it clear that I do not mean in any way that animals are stupid, on the contrary. However, seeing as they rely on instinct much more than…
Language: the foundation of culture
Language is the fundamental trait that sets apart homo sapiens from other animals. The physical ability to generate complex sounds has given us the ability to go beyond instinct. Culture could not exist without language, and not only because we wouldn’t be able to share it with one another. Animals, lacking full languages, are only…
Analysis of a misspelling
Some time ago, Lamebook showed a picture that captured my attention. Here it is: (Click to enlarge) It seems to me that the author of the message is not even a native English speaker. The syntax of the phrase is unusual; nobody fluent in the language would say “I do apologise,” unless someone complained about…
What’s in a name?
Last month, and more recently the past few days, the volcano beneath the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland has been erupting, causing disruption in air travel and huge economic losses. Being passionate about languages, I can’t help but grin from ear to ear when I think about the whole ordeal.