The Politics of Dictionaries
Ever wonder who decides when a word like 'rizz' is official? This post delves into the surprisingly political world of dictionaries, exploring how lexicographers navigate cultural debates, from internet slang…
Tag: language and politics
The Greek Language War: A Nation’s Identity Crisis
For over a century, Greece was torn apart by a linguistic civil war, a battle fought not with weapons but with words. This post delves into the intense conflict between…
One Nation, One Hundred Languages: The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union’s Grand Linguistic Experiment
The Soviet Union's language policy was a dramatic paradox, beginning with the revolutionary promotion of over 100 minority languages through the *korenizatsiya* (indigenization) program. This ambitious project, which created new…
Famous Mistranslations: The “Let Them Eat Cake” of the East
Just as the West has its infamous mistranslation of Marie Antoinette’s “Let them eat cake”, the East too has seen its fair share of blunders....
The Welsh Not: A Controversial Practice in the History of Language
Introduction The Welsh Not is a fascinating yet contentious chapter in the history of languages. It was a practice used in some Welsh schools during...
The Linguistic Diversity of Spain: More Than Just Spanish
Spain, the country renowned for its diverse cultures, gastronomy, and folklore, is also a host to a remarkable linguistic diversity. While Spanish or Castilian is...
The Politics of Language: The Coexistence of Spanish and Catalan in Spain
Language, by nature, serves as a medium for communication, conveying thoughts, feelings, knowledge, and culture. However, language can also reflect political power dynamics, personal and...