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Can we abolish all language in the world and only use one?
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GnomeMage
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#1
There was a time in China where a word can have 14 different ways of writing it and various pronunciation. And a young emperor set out to conquer all the lands he can reach and abolish all but one set of writing system and spoken language. This unification marks the birth of China as a unified country. This also allows great integration and efficiency within the country.
Putting it on the scale of the modern world, do you think we should abolish all different languages, accents, dialects and only allow one language/accent/dialect to be spoken and used in the world?
This would give the world many intangible advantages, more integration between countries (esp the hostile ones), efficiency in knowledge transfer, greater understanding between people of different background, no need for translator (which is a hefty cost), less burden for students to learn foreign languages....etc
And if you would pick Yes, what language do you think should the world use?
Putting it on the scale of the modern world, do you think we should abolish all different languages, accents, dialects and only allow one language/accent/dialect to be spoken and used in the world?
This would give the world many intangible advantages, more integration between countries (esp the hostile ones), efficiency in knowledge transfer, greater understanding between people of different background, no need for translator (which is a hefty cost), less burden for students to learn foreign languages....etc
And if you would pick Yes, what language do you think should the world use?
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Malorys ballsack
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#2
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#2
Most of us already do for international affairs (Latin was also used as an International Language before English remember so not exactly a new idea). I think it's futile and a step in the wrong direction to abolish the diversity of human affairs, how bored would we be without the delicate wonders of choice?
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Vixen47
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#3
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#3
(Original post by GnomeMage)
And if you would pick Yes, what language do you think should the world use?
And if you would pick Yes, what language do you think should the world use?
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dooglebirden
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#4
(Original post by GnomeMage)
There was a time in China where a word can have 14 different ways of writing it and various pronunciation. And a young emperor set out to conquer all the lands he can reach and abolish all but one set of writing system and spoken language. This unification marks the birth of China as a unified country. This also allows great integration and efficiency within the country.
There was a time in China where a word can have 14 different ways of writing it and various pronunciation. And a young emperor set out to conquer all the lands he can reach and abolish all but one set of writing system and spoken language. This unification marks the birth of China as a unified country. This also allows great integration and efficiency within the country.
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shawn_o1
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DiddyDec01
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kate113855
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Gwilym101
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#8
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#8
and as it would be horribly biased if we picked the language of a particular country. Everyone should learn Klingon.
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manchesterunited15
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lamp-y
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Marky Mark
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#11
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#11
(Original post by manchesterunited15)
If we did the language should obviously be English
If we did the language should obviously be English
Your white privilege is oppressing me.
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Temporality
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#12
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#12
(Original post by GnomeMage)
There was a time in China where a word can have 14 different ways of writing it and various pronunciation. And a young emperor set out to conquer all the lands he can reach and abolish all but one set of writing system and spoken language. This unification marks the birth of China as a unified country. This also allows great integration and efficiency within the country.
Putting it on the scale of the modern world, do you think we should abolish all different languages, accents, dialects and only allow one language/accent/dialect to be spoken and used in the world?
This would give the world many intangible advantages, more integration between countries (esp the hostile ones), efficiency in knowledge transfer, greater understanding between people of different background, no need for translator (which is a hefty cost), less burden for students to learn foreign languages....etc
And if you would pick Yes, what language do you think should the world use?
There was a time in China where a word can have 14 different ways of writing it and various pronunciation. And a young emperor set out to conquer all the lands he can reach and abolish all but one set of writing system and spoken language. This unification marks the birth of China as a unified country. This also allows great integration and efficiency within the country.
Putting it on the scale of the modern world, do you think we should abolish all different languages, accents, dialects and only allow one language/accent/dialect to be spoken and used in the world?
This would give the world many intangible advantages, more integration between countries (esp the hostile ones), efficiency in knowledge transfer, greater understanding between people of different background, no need for translator (which is a hefty cost), less burden for students to learn foreign languages....etc
And if you would pick Yes, what language do you think should the world use?
Untranslatable idioms, poetry and literature in different languages, as well as the varying sonority and charm of various languages are all aspects of wonderfully enriching cultures that would be lost.
Besides, it would be pragmatically impossible to force everyone in the world to speak the same language and many would struggle to learn it, leading those people to become marginalised. Language is an intrinsic part of who people are. Plus you cannot abolish language and erase it from the writings of history. Even Latin and Ancient Greek that are no longer spoken are perpetuated in their literature, history and civilisation.
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manchesterunited15
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#13
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#13
(Original post by Marky Mark)
Your white privilege is oppressing me.
Your white privilege is oppressing me.
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Sandtrooper
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#14
username1238259
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#15
HuggleyDuck
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#16
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#16
There is so much culture in language that it would be a real shame to lose it. For example, there are some languages that have words that just don't exist in other languages because they relate to the culture. I do think there should be an international language, but there shouldn't just be one language.
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Rosasaurr
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#17
Rorschach II
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#18
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#18
(Original post by manchesterunited15)
If we did the language should obviously be English
If we did the language should obviously be English
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manchesterunited15
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#19
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#19
(Original post by XcitingStuart)
...and why should it be English?
...and why should it be English?
Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a "world language", the lingua franca of the modern era, and while it is not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a foreign language. It is, by international treaty, the official language for aeronautical and maritime communications. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations and many other international organisations, including the International Olympic Committee.
English is the primary language of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and various Caribbean and Pacific island nations; it is also an official language of Pakistan, India, the Philippines, Singapore and many sub-Saharan African countries. It is the most widely spoken language in the world, and the most widely taught foreign language.
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Birkenhead
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#20
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