15/01/2017
What did medieval linguist Antonio de Nebrija mean when he told Queen Isabella that: “language is the perfect instrument of empire?” How has language contributed to colonial power? Focus on a specific example.
In my opinion, the linguist Nebrija was discussing how language is the key an empire and was depicting its importance within colonisation. He was giving her advice on how to build powerful territories, in his mind the strongest weapon was their language. Which can be considered quite true if you observe the success of UK's colonisation, at a point, their empire spread across 24% of the earth's surface. A powerful role which was reinforced by their dominating culture and language.
When proceeding to new countries they put in the effort to learn a little of the original language in order to communicate but to gain full control they insisted their own ideas, culture and dialect. This method suppresses the communities language and culture allowing for a slow silencing of the people. Silencing the people through language is subtle but spreads the dominating culture preventing future revolutions and rebellions. It is a cunning form of repression as it gives the natives knowledge of foreign concepts while imprinting the supreme culture. Even after this domination, the culture is left emphasising the empire's power. They have the ability to do this through the teaching which has a severe negative influence on the population. People are promised knowledge through schools, however, these western schools slowly teach the children more about western themes and language brainwashing their sacred mindsets. It is a false idea that leads to the loss of tradition and, more importantly, communication. Which marginalises the original or native populace giving the supreme colonial total control. This control may lead to new rules or regulations being out in place which may in force the teaching of language further which increases the silencing in the community.
Language is an easy way to spread one's culture making it easy to learn about others, however, it has the ability to take away culture through subliminal brainwashing or "white washing".
What did medieval linguist Antonio de Nebrija mean when he told Queen Isabella that: “language is the perfect instrument of empire?” How has language contributed to colonial power? Focus on a specific example.
In my opinion, the linguist Nebrija was discussing how language is the key an empire and was depicting its importance within colonisation. He was giving her advice on how to build powerful territories, in his mind the strongest weapon was their language. Which can be considered quite true if you observe the success of UK's colonisation, at a point, their empire spread across 24% of the earth's surface. A powerful role which was reinforced by their dominating culture and language.
When proceeding to new countries they put in the effort to learn a little of the original language in order to communicate but to gain full control they insisted their own ideas, culture and dialect. This method suppresses the communities language and culture allowing for a slow silencing of the people. Silencing the people through language is subtle but spreads the dominating culture preventing future revolutions and rebellions. It is a cunning form of repression as it gives the natives knowledge of foreign concepts while imprinting the supreme culture. Even after this domination, the culture is left emphasising the empire's power. They have the ability to do this through the teaching which has a severe negative influence on the population. People are promised knowledge through schools, however, these western schools slowly teach the children more about western themes and language brainwashing their sacred mindsets. It is a false idea that leads to the loss of tradition and, more importantly, communication. Which marginalises the original or native populace giving the supreme colonial total control. This control may lead to new rules or regulations being out in place which may in force the teaching of language further which increases the silencing in the community.
Language is an easy way to spread one's culture making it easy to learn about others, however, it has the ability to take away culture through subliminal brainwashing or "white washing".
HI Karma, Your blog was very fascinating and persuasive especially with the facts, I agree with what your saying in terms of westernization is taking over schools and communities, however if you think about it, for a one world one mind society that we aim to have, is it not fair to instill the same ideas as well into everyone? by the way my comment section does that all the time but THANKS for commenting on the previous one instead!
ReplyDelete*westernization taking over schools and communities,
DeleteHey Karma,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your blog post because firstly I agree with it and secondly it was concise and yet direct, a skill that we have to master in DP.
Furthermore I fully agree with everything that you mentioned in your blog post because through teaching a new language to an entire empire, the small cultures and traditions within that empire will eventually be wiped out or forgotten due to the lack of stimuli and emphasis on that specific culture or tradition, and with that comes language. Language is very powerful and it has been used for good and bad throughout time.