“For a writer, to change languages is to write a love letter with a dictionary.”
Emil M. Cioran (1911–1995) Romanian philosopher and essayist
Anathemas and Admirations (1987)
“Language is often changed by writers.”
Acceptance Speech for the Margaret Edwards Award (1998)
Context: Language is often changed by writers. We speak English today because Chaucer chose to write in the language of the common people, rather than the Latin or French used by those who were educated. James Joyce had an almost equally profound effect on language when he wrote about the inner self, rather than the outer self.
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Madeleine L'Engle223
American writer 1918–2007Related quotes
“Changes in language often reflect the changing values of a culture.”
Ravi Zacharias (1946) Indian philosopher
“Zoë threw up her hands in exasperation. "I hate this language. It changes too often!”
Rick Riordan book The Titan's Curse
Source: The Titan's Curse
“Being a writer requires an intoxication with language.”
Jim Harrison (1937–2016) American novelist, poet, essayist
“Good writers are those who keep the language efficient.”
Ezra Pound book ABC of Reading
Source: ABC of Reading (1934), Chapter 3
Context: Good writers are those who keep the language efficient. That is to say, keep it accurate, keep it clear.
Alexis De Tocqueville book Democracy in America
Book One, Chapter XIII.
Democracy in America, Volume II (1840), Book One
Prologue as translated in Readings in European History, Vol. I (1904) edited by James Harvey Robinson, p. 450
Sic et Non (1120)
Context: There are many seeming contradictions and even obscurities in the innumerable writings of the church fathers. Our respect for their authority should not stand in the way of an effort on our part to come at the truth. The obscurity and contradictions in ancient writings may be explained upon many grounds, and may be discussed without impugning the good faith and insight of the fathers. A writer may use different terms to mean the same thing, in order to avoid a monotonous repetition of the same word. Common, vague words may be employed in order that the common people may understand; and sometimes a writer sacrifices perfect accuracy in the interest of a clear general statement. Poetical, figurative language is often obscure and vague.
Not infrequently apocryphal works are attributed to the saints. Then, even the best authors often introduce the erroneous views of others and leave the reader to distinguish between the true and the false. Sometimes, as Augustine confesses in his own case, the fathers ventured to rely upon the opinions of others.
Suman Pokhrel (1967) Nepali poet, lyricist, playwright, translator and artist
<span class="plainlinks"> Foreword, 'Tales of Transformation: English Translation of Tagore's Chitrangada and Chandalika', Lopamudra Banerjee, (2018). https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DQPD8F4/</span> <br class="br">From Prose
“Beware of language, for it is often a great cheat.”
Peter Mere Latham (1789–1875) English physician and educator
Book I, p. 138.
Collected Works
“For a writer, only one form of patriotism exists: his attitude toward language.”
Joseph Brodsky (1940–1996) Russian and American poet and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate