Quotes about language (2943 quotes, page 30)

“If we formulate the fundamental theory of nature in a timeless language, we have then the problem of recovering the familiar notion of time.”

Carlo Rovelli (1956) Italian physicist

"Forget time" (Aug, 2008)

Time , Nature , Problem

“The inability to isolate software components from each other is the main reason why many popular programming languages cannot be used for making robust system software.”

Joe Armstrong (1950–2019) British computer scientist

page 32
Making Reliable Distributed Systems in the Presence of Software Errors

“There are some rhetorical moves that I wouldn’t be able to make if I didn’t know these languages. In terms of writing figurative language, I probably pull a lot from Yoruba imagery…”

Chigozie Obioma (1986) Nigerian writer

On his first novel The Fishermen in “'Why Jay?': Chigozie Obioma on the haunting death that inspired his novel” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jan/18/chigozie-obioma-why-do-my-stories-end-this-way-honestly-i-want-to-write-a-feelgood-story- in The Guardian (2019 Jan 18)

“I love cooking and learning more every day in cooking. I look at food as I would languages or art and my vocabulary and palate keep expanding. I continue to do pastry and have been doing savory all along and it's a beautiful marriage.”

Elizabeth Falkner (1966) American television chef

discussing her interest in both pastry and savory cooking
Justluxe Article - Interview by Sara Cardoza - Top Chef Interviews: Elizabeth Falkner https://www.justluxe.com/lifestyle/dining/feature-1844413.php - October 2012 - Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20211003105247/https://www.justluxe.com/lifestyle/dining/feature-1844413.php

Marriage , Learning , Cooking , Food

“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.”

Mai Chisamba (1952)

World , Feeling

“Using the philosophical language —Some people are less rational than others because it’s not given to every mind to think straight.”

Mwanandeke Kindembo (1996) Congolese author

People , Thinking

“Using the psychological language—Some people are less rational than others, because they are caught up in BEING instead of focusing in BECOMING too. Time is continuous.”

Mwanandeke Kindembo (1996) Congolese author

Time , People

“War between religions and science will never end; because they speak difference languages. There is a lack of communication between them.”

Mwanandeke Kindembo (1996) Congolese author

Religion , War , Communication , Science

“God reveals the truth behind the languages of the Quran to those whom He loves and who are true Sufis.”

Abu Nasr as-Sarraj

Source: The Sayings and Teachings of the Great Mystics of Islam (2004), p. 82

Truth , God , Love

“Speaking English dialogue is not easy for me. I am too lazy to learn English or speak any foreign language, so I am very grateful to my dialogue coach for helping me a lot.”

Jet Li (1963) Chinese martial artist and actor

As quoted in Actor Jet Li Agreed To Star In ‘Mulan’ For His Daughter https://in.news.yahoo.com/actor-jet-li-agreed-star-045050431.html in Yahoo News (September 7, 2020)

Help , Learning

“Metaphysics intends to furnish dialectically only reference points; it offers − and this is its entire reason for being − a system of perfectly sufficient keys, through a language that cannot be other than indicative and elliptical.”

Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998) Swiss philosopher

[1991, Roots of the Human Condition, World Wisdom, 21, 0-941532-11-9]
Spiritual path, Metaphysics

“In world history, those who have helped to build the same culture are not necessarily of one race, and those of the same race have not all participated in one culture. In scientific language, culture is not a function of race.”

Ruth Benedict (1887–1948) American anthropologist and folklorologist

Race: Science and Politics [1940], ch. 2

History , Help , World

“Sometimes the government has to answer questions with ambiguous language.”

Jason Kenney (1968) Canadian politician and 18th Premier of Alberta

In an interview with Macleans https://www.macleans.ca/politics/jason-kenney-on-life-after-ottawa-and-uniting-albertas-right/ (28 September 2016)
2010s

Question

“The Extraordinary Form speaks, literally (because it is in Latin), and figuratively, a different language; and I think some people who need to can come back to faith through it.”

Fernando Arêas Rifan (1950) Roman Catholic bishop

Tridentine Mass draws international pilgrims to Rome https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/28324/tridentine-mass-draws-international-pilgrims-to-rome (27 October 2013)

Faith , People , Thinking

“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.”

Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) Führer and Reich Chancellor of Germany, Leader of the Nazi Party

Source: 7 March 1942, quoted in Hitler's Table Talk, 1941–1944

Country

“A Prince must not speak the language of the tribunes and proclaim absolute principles in terms which are likely to deeply offend those who are of another opinion than his own.”

Pierre Emmanuel Félix Chazal (1808–1892) Belgian politician (1808-1892)

Source: All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The Importance of General Chazal in Colonial Politics. http://www.ethesis.net/leopold_II/leopold_II.htm#2.%20 KMLKG, Papiers Chazal, 65/1, Chazal aan de hertog van Brabant, 28 juni 1859.

“If history is to teach us anything, it must teach us that there is a continuity which binds together the present and the past, the East and the West. And no branch of history teaches that lesson more powerfully than the history of language and the history of religion.”

Max Müller (1823–1900) German-born philologist and orientalist

Religion , History , Past

“A Prince must not speak the language of the tribunes and proclaim absolute principles in terms which are likely to deeply offend those who are of another opinion than his own.”

Leopold II of Belgium (1835–1909) King of the Belgians

Source: All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 5. A prospectus by the military Chazal and Brialmont, The Importance of General Chazal in Colonial Politics. http://www.ethesis.net/leopold_II/leopold_II.htm#2.%20 KMLKG, Papiers Chazal, 65/1, Chazal aan de hertog van Brabant, 28 juni 1859.

“It has seen the people themselves taking increasing individual and collective action in order to obtain a world organization or government, a universal religion, or a universal language.”

Vera Stanley Alder (1898–1984) British artist

Source: Humanity Comes of Age, A study of Individual and World Fulfillment (1950), Introduction p. I - XII

People , Universe , World , Religion

“I consider myself as having two selves. One self is Chinese and more delicate, more subtle, in terms of language. But the English self is young and audacious, and I say what I want to say.”

Geling Yan (1958) Chinese writer and screenwriter

Source: "Chinese writer finds freedom in English" in Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-literature-yan-interview/chinese-writer-finds-freedom-in-english-idUSTRE53M00D20090423 (22 April 2009)

“If the knowledge of foreign languages is particularly useful in our time, that of national languages is a necessity. It is necessary to have them taught to the youth simultaneously, and it is to be desired that their use should become more and more common to all Belgians.”

Leopold II of Belgium (1835–1909) King of the Belgians

Source: J. Steur, Netherlands. Volume 63 Article from 1959. Quoted from J. Vuylsteke, "Flemish Belgium since 1830: Studies and sketches collected by the general board of the Willemsfonds on the occasion of the Jubilee Year 1905", Willemsfonds, 1905, p. 222. https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_nee003195901_01/_nee003195901_01_0114.php King Leopold II and the Queen are invited by the mayor of Brussels, Karel Buls, to attend the first performance in the renovated Flemish theatre, where he gives a speech in Flemish. This was followed by thunderous applause such as 'Long live our Flemish King!'

Time , Knowledge , Youth

“Speak up against those who cannot speak for themselves. Let’s speak in the language of the youths. Visit schools visit hospitals. What assistance do we offer those who cannot help themselves? We should assist rape victims. We should be the voice of the society.”

Folake Solanke (1932) Nigerian lawyer

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/03/kidnap-of-schoolgirls-stop-paying-ransom-to-criminals-solanke-tells-fg/ Folake Solanke in 2021 speaking out against the ills in society.

Youth , School , Help

“I am pleased to announce that I've decided to go net-zero on swear words and bad language. In the event that I should say something inappropriate I pledge to compensate that by saying something nice. #COP26,”

Greta Thunberg (2003) Swedish climate change activist

Source: Greta Thunberg says she's going 'net-zero' on cussing after COP26 sing-along, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/03/uk/greta-thunberg-net-zero-swearing-cop26-intl-scli-gbr/index.html, November 3, 2021

“From the director to the international cast, all of them are from deaf families for generations, while the film industry usually entrusts these roles to audacious interpreters that end up being bad imitators of the Sign language.”

Emilio Insolera (1979) Actor and film producer

Source: As quoted in Cinema. Quando il super eroe è sordo https://www.avvenire.it/agora/pagine/sordo(September 10, 2017), Avvenire)

Family

“Despite common belief, the goblin language did include a word for trust. It was derived from the word for trustworthy, which in the goblin tongue, was the same as the word for dead.”

Jim C. Hines (1974) American writer

Source: The Goblin Quest Series, Goblin Hero (2007), Chapter 1 (pp. 19-20)

Dead

“What is not there in English which can be found in Tamil Language?””

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy (1879–1973) Tamil politician and social reformer

Source: quoted in Book written by M. Venkatesan entitled “EV Ramasamy Naickarin Marupakkam” also https://myvoice.opindia.com/2019/02/rise-of-ev-ramasamy-naicker-and-the-fall-of-tamil-nadu/

“The only language that ought to replace Tamil is English.”

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy (1879–1973) Tamil politician and social reformer

“Language has become the universal evil. And we can certainly see why. What characterizes any word is its difference from the thing – the fact that, taken in itself, in its own reality, language contains nothing of the reality of the thing, none of its properties. This difference from the thing explains its indifference to the thing. Since a word has nothing in itself that is identical or similar to what is in the thing, it could as well be united with any other thing whatever. One could use the same name for two different things or else attribute several names to the same thing. But because, in and of itself, the word contains nothing that is real and ignores everything about that reality, it could just as well bring reality back to itself, identify with it, define it, in such a way that everything the word says becomes reality, and pretends to stand for it. Emerging from its own powerlessness, the power of language suddenly becomes frightening, shaking up reality, twisting it up in its frenzy.”

Michel Henry (1922–2002) French writer

Books on Religion and Christianity, I am the Truth. Toward a philosophy of Christianity (1996)
Source: Michel Henry, I am the Truth. Toward a Philosophy of Christianity, translated by Susan Emanuel, Stanford University Press, 2003, p. 9

Indifference , Reality , Universe , Evil

“It is always delightful to have one's feelings expressed by some one else in language of enthusiasm one might oneself be afraid to employ.”

Alfred Austin (1835–1913) British writer and poet

Source: Lamia's Winter-Quarters (1898), p. 68.

Feeling

“Art transcends war. Art is the language of God and war is the barking of men. Beethoven is bigger than war.”

Fannie Hurst (1889–1968) novelist

Source: Lummox (1923)

God , Men , War , Art

“Language is an evil thing, a very evil thing. And a force to be reckoned with.”

David Lynch (1946) American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor

As quoted in The Guardian (19 March 2005)

Evil

“The sick reality about our over dependance on language is that trying to live without it is like a blind and deaf man with no arms or legs trying to navigate a dark narrow cave, and the cave is full of tarantulas.”

David Lynch (1946) American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor

About the human dependency on language to communicate, as quoted in The Washington Post (18 June 2011)

Dependency , Reality

“Computers are not very smart. They don't understand human language, so we have to tell them what to do in a language that both humans and computers can understand.”

Yukihiro Matsumoto (1965) Japanese computer scientist

Yukihiro Matsumoto " I'm a Mormon, Ruby Author and a World-changer https://youtube.com/watch?v=bkh0gPf4Noc" by ComeUntoChrist.org on 2013-08-12.

Understanding

“Before a nation can be rebuilt, its citizens need to understand how it was destroyed in the first place: how its institutions were undermined, how its language was twisted, how its people were manipulated”

Anne Applebaum (1964) journalist

Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, 1944-1956 https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/z4AdQy3VCmgC?hl=en (October 30, 2012).

Understanding , People

“The strength of America is our diversity of people, ethnicities, cultures, languages, religions — this is the secret sauce of our dynamism and resilience.”

Gary Locke (1950) American politician

"Gary Locke keynotes anti-hate summit" in Northwest Asian Weekly https://nwasianweekly.com/2021/10/gary-locke-keynotes-anti-hate-summit/ (29 October 2021)

Religion , People , Secret

“Our country, our nation is built by two institutions, the state and the language. A language whose epicenter today is no longer on these banks of the Seine, but probably much more towards the Congo River basin.”

Emmanuel Macron (1977) 25th President of the French Republic

Macron lashes out at Zemmour: “Our identity is not built on narrow-mindedness" https://palnws.be/2021/09/macron-haalt-uit-naar-zemmour-onze-identiteit-is-niet-gebouwd-op-bekrompenheid/
2017, 2021

Country

“Man is one name belonging to every nation upon earth. In them all is one soul though many tongues. Every country has its own language, yet the subjects of which the untutored soul speaks are the same everywhere.”

Tertullian (155–220) Christian theologian

De Testimonio Animae (The Testimony of the Soul), 6.3
The Soul's Testimony https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0309.htm
Original: (la) Omnium gentium unus homo, uarium nomen est, una anima, uaria uox, unus spiritus, uarius sonus, propria cuique genti loquella, sed loquellae materia communis.

Soul , Country

“There can be no more solemn duty for the comparative linguist than to reconstruct his language family's word for the Supreme Being.”

James Matisoff (1937) linguist

"God and the Sino-Tibetan Copula" (1985) (p.4)

Family

“The Civil Rights Movement was not an event; it is a process and it goes on. Process says one should learn the language of youth, respect them without glorifying them, take a long look at what we could have done better and pass the lessons along.”

Elizabeth Martinez (1925) American community organizer, activist, author, and educator

De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century (2017)

Learning , Youth

“Τhere is a cry deeper than all sound,
tears hidden that overflowing as waves,
a shadows language that whispering in the ear of life,
''be boundless, feel the earth recieve you as you are,
be conscious and the infinite expanse of heaven
will grow even wider.”

Alexis Karpouzos (1967)

Source: Song There is a cry

Cry , Feeling , Tear , Life

“In my opinion, besides science, language and mathematics, perhaps tolerance is the most important thing that should be taught in schools nowadays.”

Titon Rahmawan

School , Mathematics , Science

“You will be able to wear infinite masks, take on different attitudes and change your usual language, but you will always remain, inevitably, only what you prove yourself to be.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: Potrete indossare infinite maschere, assumere atteggiamenti diversi e cambiare il vostro linguaggio abituale, ma rimarrete sempre, inevitabilmente, solo ciò che dimostrate di essere.
Source: prevale.net

Change

“Music is the language of the sound that composes every single emotion.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: La musica è il linguaggio del suono che compone ogni singola emozione.
Source: prevale.net

Music

Quotes about language page 30

Quotes about language
page 30