“People who speak Belarusian can not do anything except talk on it, because it is impossible to express anything great in Belarusian. The Belarusian language is a poor language. There are only two great languages in the world. Russian and English.”

“The Belarusian failure therefore provides a useful test. Here we have an “ethnic group” which is the largest by far in the area in question. According to the Russian imperial census of 1897, more people spoke Belarusian in Vil’na province than all other languages combined. In Vil’na, Minsk, Grodno, Mogilev, and Vitebsk provinces, contiguous territories of historic Lithuania, speakers of Belarusian were three quarters of the population. In the twentieth century, this “ethnic group” did not become a modern nation. In combination with Lithuanian and Polish successes, this Belarusian failure helps us to perceive what national movements actually need.”

“It is impossible for us English lawyers, dealing with the English language, to express our views except in the technical language of our law.”

“I would say, ‘Is there anything I can do?’—but Skip once told me that that was the most hateful and stupid expression in the English language.”

“I am an ambassador of local languages and I want to show the world that we can do anything in our languages. I feel proud of local artistes who now create and promote content in our languages.”

“If I want to do anything, I want to speak a more universal language.”

“A man who has a language consequently possesses the world expressed and implied by that language.”

“The English language lacks the ability to express thoughts that surpass the order of concrete things. It’s because the German language has this ability that Germany is the country of thinkers.”

“An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language.”

“Ukraine has managed to preserve their language and culture, and national pride, which made it possible to assemble the force that could stand up to Russia. Belarusians, on the contrary, had been robbed, taking the national history and make sure that by 1917 the country did not exist, and all that it has today — thanks to Russia. People are deprived of their history and national identity, will not go to the square to fight for something that does not feel or understand.”