|
Even if it goes unnoticed, language is the most important innovation which separates man from beast. It allows for learning and communication on a level which no animal had before, through the ability to transfer abstract and complex ideas to others. We use language every day, to express, define, and understand ourselves and each other, and because of this it is no wonder that the study of language is an important way to track how people have changed over time. From prehistory to modern times, language both defines and is defined by a group's culture, and this is why language is a key component to understanding how people work.
|
Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World, by Nicholas Ostler, set out with the bold ambition of documenting the history of the world's civilizations, especially with regard to how language spread, changed, and evolved during that time. Ostler starts by defining the methods through which languages can survive and thrive, stating that the most common methods are the Hunters Strategy, growing through active conquest of other peoples and their languages (an example being Latin through the Romans), and the Farmers Strategy, which is passively building a large population base in the language center (an example being old Egyptian). It documents what different languages and their traits say about a culture, for example how the vast vocabulary of Sanskrit, comprised of many near synonyms, shows a cultural desire for extreme precision and detail. This can be explained by the common belief of many ancient Indians that language must be analyzed and understood deeply in order to better understand the Vedas and other religious documents, which were primarily written in Sanskrit. The book also talks about the effects that losing these languages can have, with the lose of language also meaning the loss of identity and culture for many. The loss of many American languages, especially in Southern and Central America, has led to a loss of culture among many of the natives, who were assimilated into the culture of the Spanish and Portuguese after taking up the language. Language can also used, as explained by Ostler, to track the past of some groups which did not record their history. The movement of Gallic languages can be examined this way, with its origins being from the east, and its movements across Europe being tracked by the advance of its language, with Western Europe housing the remaining Gallic languages due to other waves of immigrants, such as the Germans, pushing them out of the eastern regions. Through the examination of examples such as these, Nicholas Ostler attempts to show why language can be used to examine the culture of people in the past and the present, as well as explain why the world is the way it is today.
|
The Importance of LanguageAlthough its importance is often taken for granted, simply being seen as a standard part of life, to understand language is to understand how humans think and see the world, making it a critical study.
|
The History of LanguageOne of the most important ways for language to show our culture is through the examination of how language has changed over time.
|
The Big IdeaThe study of language is really the study of human nature, as language is how we express ourselves, and allows for us to explain the world around us.
|