“Words are man’s first and most grandiose invention. With language he created a whole new universe; what wonder if he loved words and attributed power to them!”
― Aldous Huxley.
One invention / development that changed the world is the invention of language. It is mankind’s greatest invention. Invention of languages can be compared to other technologies invented by humans which makes their survival easy including fire, wheel, hunting weapons etc. Human beings are social animals and they cannot live alone. Man cannot live without communicating with his fellow humans. Initially, man would communicate through gestures and postures. The desire to communicate with other human beings was the main cause of invention of language. And as the proverb states “Necessity is the mother of Invention”, to communicate with others was the necessity for man and hence developed language. It was invented to satisfy the need of daily life. We can even say that this invention is the centre of the entire world. Every aspect of our life revolves around it. It is like a common link between the people.
Imagine a world with no language. Exactly. You can’t. Language is something so necessary and common which we often take for granted. It is thus the core of humanity. Humans are the only living beings who are blessed with language, but we are not the only ones who can communicate.Humans, however, have something very important and delicate. We have language, which makes our communication so easy. The term language is taken from the Latin word language which means tongue. It is guessed that it appeared about 100,000 years ago. It is said that change is the only constant and it applies to language as well. It also keeps on changing from time to time. Not every day but gradually.
Language is the basis of communication. Even computers have their own language. Machine language is used for machines. Sign language for deaf and dumb. Brail is for blind. Animals have their own different language. Our feelings and thoughts can be expressed with the help of language. It is only through this medium that our cultures and traditions are passed on to the next generation. This invention is the core of our cultural heritage.
Language is the tool to fix the world if used in a right way. It is a vital part of human communication. It allows us to share our thoughts, ideas and feelings with others. It is language that distinguishes humans from other animal species and therefore it is more than just a means of communication. It is important in developing a person’s personality.Every day, we use language to communicate, to argue, to learn, to negotiate, and celebrate. Language is important in almost every field may it be our daily life, business, education or career. It can build economic relations, friendships, and culture ties.
Language is not an inborn ability. From birth a child begins to develop language. Before they can even speak or spell, a child can communicate what they need through actions, for example a baby crying for a bottle of milk. It is a medium through which humans express their needs, it’s an exchange of our thoughts, our ideas from one person to another that both can make sense of. Language is used in almost every part of the world. It changes the perspective how an individual perceives the world and it also helps to define culture and traditions of any society. Any language is a gift. A man must learn as many languages as he can. This makes him efficient and skilful in many ways. It opens our minds into the magical world of our own dreams. It is understood by people according to their own social and cultural backgrounds. Language is all about culture and similarly culture is all about language.
This invention is a boon to this world but one should make proper use of it. Using correct words is so critical in communications. Using one wrong word can take the conversation in a completely unintended direction. Making use of correct words also reflects your knowledge about a language. Words can build a relationship and at the same time also have the power to break one. They can be flowers if rightly used and if misused they can even act like a sword. Language is more than words.
Language is what makes us all humans. Until the end of human life on Earth, there will be language.
“Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow. “
-Oliver Wendell Holmes.
By Shrisha Gujar
