A "Standard" Language

I recently came across some readings in a linguistics text book that addressed the idealized notion of a “standard” language – something universal, the same for all of us.

And I go to thinking: why would we want this?

It would level the playing field, for sure. People would not have to “mask their voice” for a job interview. We would no longer have to worry about others laughing at the way we say things, rather than our actual jokes. No one would have to stress about being judged by their voice, rather than by their actions and personality.

But is a standard language actually possible?

I once read that the Eskimos have about 40 words for ‘ice.’

In English, expressing love is usually done with one simple word: love. In Hindi and Punjabi, the words mohabbat, pyaar, ishq, deewanapan/deewanigi, and junoon are just a few words that are often used to express love (the first three are by far the most common, however).

The southern states in America, as well as languages such as Spanish and many of the languages native to India are often characterized by their use of comparisons – sometimes in the form of similes or metaphors – in everyday conversations.

Can one, standard language encompass all of that?

Do we truly believe that one language could uniformly do justice to that which our separate languages and dialects have painstakingly adapted to accommodate? Will all individuals even feel the need to use all of the words in this ‘standard’ language? And won’t some individual feel left out and forgotten – surely someone will find that they are without a word to describe (or help describe) an experience or emotion they are feeling that they once had.

It seems that many individuals are passionate about having only one language – a standardization that will close the gaps between inhabitants of one country, all who seem to claim to speak the same language but are still separated by a sea of words. However, it seems an impossible feat to accomplish. And even if it is accomplished, there is nothing to stop the seemingly inevitable evolution of language to land us, once more, where we already stand.

Language has adapted over time to reflect that which seems most important in our lives. In countries where family is the center-piece of life, a lot more words are constantly in use to describe family members and family life. Words such as ‘responsibility’ when used in conjunction with ‘family’ seem to carry a different weight. This is not to say that countries that value individualism do not value family. The language there just doesn’t have one word to describe your aunt that is your aunt by marriage to your father’s older brother. But languages in India do have single words for that.

Languages reflect our pace of life, as well. Southern parts of the United States are often thought to have very laid-back approaches to life, which seems to be clearly imitated by the southern drawl. Places like New York, which promote a fast-paced lifestyle, has adapted a form of speech that is also very fast.

Language is more than a means of communication. It is a reflection of our lives, our morals and values, our traditions. Can all of that be watered down into one common life experience? One set of morals or values? One set of traditions?

A world filled with only standard language seems like a world turning a blind eye to diversity – a world that denies it’s existence, a world trying to defy change altogether.

#Language #Miscellaneous