Linguistic imperialism

Linguistic imperialism is a term to describe the deliberate use of language as a tool for colonialist indoctrination of indigenous peoples. It scarcely needs to be said that the use of a dominant language may also have an unconscious but coercive effect, but such uses shade away into areas that are as subjective as they are emotionally freighted.

In the modern, hypercommunicative context, the term 'linguistic imperialism' is more often a characterization of an attitude, often among English speakers, that tends to dogmatism about ones' language. The term is a logical component of the wider cultural imperialism.

There are few nations in the world today that do not encompass cultures that speak a language other than the dominant one. Within national borders linguistic nationalism is the local form of linguistic imperialism.

Lingustic imperialism relates somewhat to the linguistic relativity, which is the theory that unique and distinct languages create unique and distinct ways of perceiving and thinking. (See Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis). This idea has been undermined, due to opinions of its implied assumptions about cultures and their correlating value judgements.

See also Lingua franca, Koine Greek, hellenism, Latin, Nation state, Cultural coercion.

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