The education of youth, an employment of more consequence than making laws and preaching the gospel, because it lays the foundation on which both law and gospel rest for success.
Noah WebsterRead
Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground
Interpretation
What this quote means
Language is a fundamental aspect of human experience, rooted in the collective needs and emotions of humanity.
In this quote, Noah Webster emphasizes that language is not just a theoretical construct created by scholars or compiled in dictionaries; rather, it is a living entity that has evolved from the practical experiences, emotions, and interactions of countless generations. It reflects the essence of humanity and is deeply entwined with our daily lives, showcasing its origins in the multifaceted aspects of human existence.
Themes
LanguageHumanityCommunicationCultureExpression
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker at a linguistic conference discussing the role of language in shaping culture.
More from Noah Webster
All quotes βIt is an object of vast magnitude that systems of education should be adopted and pursued which may not only diffuse a knowledge of the sciences but may implant in the minds of the American youth the principles of virtue and of liberty and inspire them with just and liberal ideas of government and with an inviolable attachment to their own country.
Noah WebsterRead
The virtues of men are of more consequence to society than their abilities, and for this reason, the heart should be cultivated with more assiduity than the head.
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In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate-look to his character.
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Nothing has a greater tendency to lessen the reverence which mankind ought to have for the Supreme Being, than a careless repetition of his name upon every trifling occasion . . . . To prevent this profanation, such passages are selected from scripture, as contain some important precepts of morality and religion, in which that sacred name is seldom mentioned. Let sacred things be appropriated to sacred purposes.
Noah WebsterRead
To exterminate our popular vices is a work of far more importance to the character and happiness of our citizens than any other improvements in our system of education.
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Similar quotes
Part of what makes a language 'alive' is its constant evolution. I would hate to think Britain would ever emulate France, where they actually have a learned faculty whose job it is to attempt to prevent the incursion of foreign words into the language. I love editing Harry with Arthur Levine, my American editor-the differences between 'British English' (of which there must be at least 200 versions) and 'American English' (ditto!) are a source of constant interest and amusement to me.
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Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.
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No two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality.
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Those who sniff decay in every shift of sense or alteration of usage do the language no service. Too often for such people the notion of good English has less to do with expressing ideas clearly than with making words conform to some arbitrary pattern.
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She wanted more, more slang, more figures of speech, the bee's knees, the cats pajamas, horse of a different color, dog-tired, she wanted to talk like she was born here, like she never came from anywhere else
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Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and goes to work.
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