We think of language as a tool. A way to get your point across. Utterly wrong. It’s an economy. A surprisingly robust one, with its own rules, valuations, and a constant churn of investment and decline. And most people aren’t even aware it exists.
Think about money. Before money, trade was a clunky, barter-driven mess. The invention of money didn’t just make things easier; it fundamentally changed the nature of exchange. Language works the same way. Pointing and grunting might get you a banana, but building anything of substance – a company, a scientific breakthrough, a culture – demands a shared, standardized system. That system is language, and it’s the invisible lubricant of modern life.
But here’s the crucial point: unlike a physical tool, language isn’t fixed. Its value isn’t inherent. It’s a social construct, and its worth fluctuates wildly. Remember Latin? The language of scholars and emperors? It didn’t just fade; it was actively discounted. Fewer people learned it, fewer important works were created in it, and its perceived value plummeted. Scarcity, ironically, became its downfall. It’s a perfect illustration of how a valuable asset can be destroyed by neglect.
Most people think language evolves. A passive process. Nonsense. It’s a team effort. Every new word, every nuance, every elegant turn of phrase is a deposit into the linguistic bank. It’s not just about using language; it’s about investing in it. And just like any investment, it generates returns. A richer, more expressive language is more useful, more beautiful, and therefore, more desirable. Desirability, in turn, drives adoption.
This creates a feedback loop, a snowball effect. A language gains prestige – linked to success, creativity, a cool culture – and people want to learn it. More users mean more content – books, movies, software – which further boosts its status. English isn’t dominant because of some historical accident. It’s dominant because it’s the language of a massive creative output. It’s the language of opportunity, and that’s what drives adoption.
Now, flip the coin. What happens when a language gets pushed to the sidelines? It’s not just about missing out on information. It’s about a linguistic discount. It’s about actively limiting the ability to participate in the world’s conversations. A language isn’t just a collection of words; it’s a container for culture, history, a unique way of seeing. Losing a language is losing a perspective, a way of understanding the world that can never be fully recovered.
Consider Mumbai. A city bursting with ambition, yet witnessing the slow erosion of Marathi. Bollywood, born from a Marathi speaker, now often relegates Marathi speakers to stereotypical roles, blasting Punjabi tunes as the sound of aspiration. This isn’s mere bias; it’s a self-reinforcing cycle of devaluation. Marathi speakers, chasing opportunity, adopt Hindi and English, inadvertently driving down the value of their own language, and the worth of those who don’t. It’s a microcosm of a global phenomenon.
The siren song of a single global language – usually English – is tempting. But it ignores the fundamental truth: linguistic diversity isn’t a bug; it’s a feature. Each language holds a unique worldview, a distinct way of understanding things. Losing those perspectives is a loss for everyone.
We need to stop thinking of language as a quaint relic and start treating it as the strategic asset it truly is. Promoting a language isn’s just about cultural pride; it’s about empowering its speakers, giving them a fighting chance in a globalized world. It’s about recognizing the linguistic discount and actively working to reverse it.
The power of well-chosen words isn’t just a cultural nicety; it’s a currency more valuable and enduring than gold or any digital code. And it’s a currency we’re collectively devaluing.
Now, with this understanding of language as a vibrant currency and a vital form of capital, consider the unique wealth held within your own linguistic heritage. Take a moment to reconnect with your roots. Explore the nuances, the stories, the very essence embedded in your native tongue. The most profound contributions to this ever-evolving linguistic ledger often begin at home. Go back, engage, and start contributing to the richness and vitality of your native language. Its future, and a part of your own identity, awaits your active participation.