The politics of language is really a two-part story. Part one focuses on global history of empire building following Columbus' discover of America and today's changing geopolitical status. Part two is the nature of the elements language itself.
Part l
The impact of the post Columbus empire building period is really quite astounding. Perhaps the largest impact of that period that remains with us today is the exportation of language. Just consider the major languages that are spoken in counties that are not native to the populations.
During Britain's effort to create a worldwide empire, they installed English as a primary language in nearly every country they colonized. This is not to justify colonization as a practice, but India is a particularly interesting example of the politics of language.
Using English gave India a common language to help link the vast number of language variations and peoples, and brought the country together in a way that eventually helped Mohandas Gandi solidify Indian sentiment to break free of colonization.
Ironically, English speaking Indians are using those language skills for jobs from English speaking countries today.
There are 79 sovereign countries and non-sovereign countries who use English as their official language, a remnant of their British colonization.
Even the small country of Portugal did its own empire building. Today, Portugese is the official of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guindea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, So Tom & Prncipe.
Spain too, extended its power by exporting Spanish to nearly the entire south American continent along with Mexico and Central America. There are 21 countries and 350 million people who have Spanish as their primary language on three different continents. Until 1973, Spanish was an official language of the Philippines. Since then, constitutional changes have made Filipino and English the two official languages.
Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, we were told to learn Russian. Today's it's Chinese.
United Nation diplomats fight over the inclusion or exclusion of single words in resolutions.
The impact of the politics of language has been enormous. Close political alliances are formed and fostered through language. Treaties, international projects, health concerns and education are tied to language and it's politics.
Empire building isn't the only form of the politics of language. Consider that in order to be a commercial airline pilot you must speak fluent English. International air traffic controls are also required to speak fluent English.
English is the primary language of computers and is so widely disseminated through them, that the English of the British Iles has been in of profoundly critical position.
Part ll
Once mankind's physical needs of air, water and food, ect. are met, the ability to communicate becomes the single most critical need of man for intellectual growth and mental advancement. Only man has a rapidly evolving language propelling and expanding humanity's ability to think.
George Orwell in his novel 1984" illustrated conceptual thought control using a government-forced ever decreasing vocabulary.
Don't confuse the politics of language with language of politics. They are separate and distinct issues but the lines can sometimes seem blurred.
All languages require a consistent system of grammatical construction and vocabulary, but the concepts of intonation, tonality in Asian languages or inflection in western languages, and connotation form the nuances of the politics of language. They may be the most difficult elements in mastering and understanding the subtleties of a foreign language.
The political or cultural implications of words may not be apparent in direct words. A home boy in the hood hanging with some friends may have an obvious meaning to some, but by the dictionary definition could be problematic.
The three elements mentioned above are where cultures and societies put their implications and inferences. What may be obvious and apparent to a person born into one cultural or societal system when using a naturally-learned language, may not be so apparent to someone who may speaks the language perfectly in terms of grammar and content, but misses the real spoken intent without ever realizing it.
Intonation is the intensity with which certain words are emphasized. This was illustrated by Danny DeVito, oddly enough, in the movie Twins in which he starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
DeVito's character steals a car. He discovers that in the vehicle is a stolen prototype of a jet engine and the buyer of the engine is willing to pay five million dollars for it.
When DeVito hear's what the value of the engine is, he begins to change the stress on each of the three words. First he says FIVE million dollars, then Five MILLION dollars and finally Five million DOLLARS. In each case the intonation is different and depending on how you stress each word, the meaning can vary.
In America if we raise our inflection at the end a sentence it becomes a question. Other intonations or inflections can have a host of meanings from joy to anger. The inflection of a sentence can have just as much meaning as the official dictionary definition.
Mel Blanc was known as The Man of a Thousand Voices. Blanc literally made his living using the politics of language. He modified his voice to accentuate the language and tone and created unforgettable characters for Warner Brothers Animation and Hanna-Barbera television productions. His characters included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote and Barney Rubble to name just a few.
Tonality is somewhat similar to intonation but in many Asian languages, the meaning of words spoken at different pitches or tones completely change the meanings of those words and intentions. Again, word intentions are part of the politics of language.
It is said that if an Eskimo child doesn't learn certain sounds in his native languages by age three, it is impossible for the child to learn as they grow older. Outsiders are never able to master the sounds because that portion of the brain that controls language change after three.
The urban myth that Eskimo languages have hundreds of words for snow is just that, a myth. There are many Eskimo languages and dialects that make it appear as though there are more words for snow in Eskimo languages than there are.
All languages have lots of words with subtle differences. It is what forms the basis of the third element of the politics of language, connotation.
Connotation is perhaps the most political of all the elements of language. For example. If I call someone mad: the direct meaning is angry, but the connotation is crazy.
Think of it in another way. If someone is called green, it could mean his skin is green colored, he is sick, he is environmentally active, is inexperienced, or (in America) he is flush with cash. Chose any color. You'll find a whole variety of connotations. If you are blue, you could be a member of the Blue Group or sad or it may even have an adult connotation.
Today we talk of buzz words, politically correctness, hate speech, politics of personal destruction using accusations and innuendo. A word's connotation frequently can have more importance than it's dictionary definition. To quote a well known politician: It depends on what the meaning of the word is, is.
Today we have a president who is exceptionally good at reading a teleprompter the previous president, not so much. The new president's language, intonation and connotation sound reassuring to a worried nation. He also exhibits another factor of the politics of language that isn't even a spoken part of language.
It's Body Language. Body language can be just as important and sometimes more important than what is said.
Remember when George H.W. Bush looked at his watch during a presidential television debate with Bill Clinton? It was a body language moment that set the tone for his whole campaign impling he was bored and uninterested. The gesture was much more than what was intended.
Language constantly changes. If we say There's a mouse we used to think furry, long-tailed, rodent. Gay, adult, software, green and a host of words take on other meanings. Words are added every year to an expanding vocabulary in the politics of language.
Consider the different way the rest of the world and the French are choosing to handle new computer related words.
French authorities are requiring computer-related words of only French origin. It's a political method of choosing vocabulary.
It's doing the opposite of adding words from any other language.
Language allows us to communicate with the future. It allows to think. Try thinking or solving a problem without language.
Remember when the definition for something good was: the quill, groovy, bad, tough, bitchen, creme, super, cool, hot or fill in the blank? The politics of language changes, with each succeeding generation. Remember when ROFLOL didn't mean anything?