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Emily @emily

"I have become a language warrior. I want to join all those others in the world who are fighting for marginalized languages. No language is ever marginal to the community that created it. Languages are like musical instruments. You don’t say, let there be a few global instruments, or let there be only one type of voice all singers can sing."

-Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

lareviewofbooks.org/article/an

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@emily I was about to say, @DialMforMara would like this sentiment.

@emily art is a creative expression, but the essence of language is to communicate meaning; having a universal language facilitates this. If not logban, something else?

@TheDistinction Agreed re. the importance of communicating meaning, but Ngugi is writing from his experience of colonization muting languages, experiences, cultures ... when I was a grad student in linguistics, his work and words taught me a lot.

@emily there are threeish sides as well; language takes on new meaning when used as a tool or weapon.

Also, I'm wondering if multilingualism's cognitive benefits can be found through another way?