The Top-Down Shift in Language

The English language is diverging into two dialects. Who determines which is correct?

Language is one of the amazing things that makes humans unique as a species. Unlike other animals, we can use words to communicate complex thoughts and ideas with each other. There are thousands of ways to convey what we think, feel, and do. Each dialect is designed by a specific culture to clearly articulate meaningful concepts.

In English, we have 11 words for colors: black, white, red, green, yellow, blue, pink, grey, brown, orange, and purple. However, Russian has 12 words for colors, which include two separate terms for light blue and dark blue. Why? They saw that the sky and sea were two different colors and named them accordingly, thus expanding their vocabulary to reflect that ideology. Most other languages have rejected this idea, opting instead to use a singular word to describe both shades.

Similarly, in English, we have separate terms for light and dark red- we call light red pink. These minor differences in words might not seem like a big deal, but they significantly affect how we see and distinguish colors.

Our perspective is greatly influenced by our words, and our words are influenced by our culture. Every term we use reflects how we subconsciously understand the world.  

The United States is entering a Civil Cold War; as the American political left and right drift further apart, each side is developing its own culture and will fight to defend it. The two cultures see the world so differently that they have nearly created two separate languages, which has been detrimental to our country’s internal communication. If you ask two people how to define woman, insurrection, recession, marriage, or (recently) raid, you could get vastly different answers depending on their political affiliation. We saw this clearly with the conversations around abortion; it was challenging to maintain dialogue about women's issues when no one could agree on a definition of woman. 

Given the recent conversations surrounding many serious political topics, I understand why the government has tried to step in and regulate our vocabulary: our new language barrier hinders these important conversations. Without universally agreed-upon meanings of words, people spend more time debating definitions than discussing actual social and political problems. Plus, it is nearly impossible to write legislation when the terminology used is constantly up for debate.

While having one agreed-upon language helps ease communication, government involvement raises questions regarding their authority and the First Amendment.

Should the government dictate how we speak? Should we allow one political party or culture to define words over another? Are we obligated to use words the way the government determines is correct?

So far, politicians' attempts to intervene have not only failed to create clarity but have caused more confusion and divisiveness. Allowing the government to control language not only influences policy but culture and perspective as well. We already see how media, academia, and the corporate world are beginning to enforce a new way of speaking.

Regardless of your political affiliation, this should scare you. We live in a democracy where each election cycle brings change. Even if "your side" is in control of the narrative now, there will come a time when the other side has the same power. When you allow the government to make these decisions, you can not take away that power when it no longer suits your cause.

No matter what words we use to describe the issues in our society, we cannot change the reality that those issues still exist. Before we start changing the definitions of words, think about what aspects of language are essential to you and whether you want to give the government the power to take that away.