http://www.iforidiot.com/most-spoken-native-language-in-the-world
What is language? There are millions of definitions
that can be given to this notion, because “language” is the hardest thing to define
by one or two interpretations. Language is an entire concept and everybody
understands it differently.
First
of all, language is a unique
characteristic which distinguishes human beings from other animal species. In
order to define the language, we need language: words and notions, grammar and
structure, signs and gestures, and so on. Animals and other species can undoubtedly
have their own non-verbal communication system to express some emotions or
directions, but human language is a unique system of communication which is
complex and progressive. Moreover, what makes the human language unique is a
human brain, because only human brain structures make the language.
Language evolves.
Despite the fact that there is no exact evidence of the origin of language, we
all know that languages are not stable; they evolve over time, shift, or even
die (Yule, 2010). Even technology and internet have their impact on languages,
such as creating a new different language. It is evident that across the world,
there are about 6900 languages with different powers and statuses (Anderson,
2010). From this perspective, we can surely say that language is a result of
evolution.
Language serves the human society. It is one of the commonsense definitions that sees
the language as a tool for communication. Is it possible to imagine human
society without language and communication? No innovations in medicine, art,
research and technology; no computers without format language; no laws; no
language for education at all, not speaking about sign languages for blind
people. Language is used in all spheres of human society starting from study
and work to politics. Two simultaneous processes happen with the help of
language in which parents socialize their children through the language, at the
one and same time, to use the language.
Language is a wealth of nation, in all meanings of this word. Firstly, the language
and culture of a nation are directly interrelated. If proverbs, phraseological
units, songs, fairytales, traditions and customs are, for example, in Kazakh
language, they delineate the nature and personality of Kazakh nation. For
instance, there are some traditions named in Kazakh language like “tusaukesu”,
“shildekhana”, and if we translate them into other languages, they will lose
their meanings and values. Secondly, mother tongue language of a nation refers
to patriotic sense, because it is the first language mothers talk to their
child. That is why all nations, even immigrant minorities always try to
preserve and expand their languages. If a language dies, it is difficult to
preserve its culture and the identity of its speakers. Language itself makes various
nations distinguishable.
Overall, language is a part of us, our brain and our
life, because we learn it from birth and use until death, and because we think in it, in its
structure, in its words and sentences. As it was mentioned before, language is
a whole concept, and many scholars contributed and are still making
contributions to the development of understanding the language. The language
sciences are improving, so that the areas of connections of language and
policy, language and education, language and culture are accordingly expanding.
Nevertheless, the precise origin of language is unknown; so, language might be
a something magic or gift to human beings.
References:
Yule, G.
(2010). The study of language. Cambridge University Press, New York, fourth
edition
Anderson,
S. (2010). How many languages are there in the world? Linguistic Society of America
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