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Hey gang, let's muse on the idea of a universal tongue from day one of human history. Picture the scene: Every person on Earth from ancient tribes to today's city dwellers, we all speak the same lingo.
Misunderstandings in history due to language barriers? Gone. The Rosetta Stone? Just a rock. Globalization speeds up because everyone gets each other, but local dialects and linguistic diversity take a hit.
Now here's the kicker: Would culture develop the same way? A lot of cultural identity is tied to language, so imagine the shift if we were all speaking 'Humaneze' or something.
Maybe we'd have a more united human race. Or perhaps we'd find other ways to differentiate groups. Any linguaphiles with more insights?
Submitted 12 months ago by FunkyMonkeyLinguist
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If we'd had a universal language, I reckon the digital age would've arrived way earlier. Communication satellites and the internet? We'd be knee-deep in better tech by now. But yeah, have to agree that it would dull local cultures. Maybe we'd invent new languages just for fun. Also... would programming languages be affected?
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Nooooo thank you. Diversity in language is like biodiversity—crucial for a rich, varied human experience. A single language would've maybe avoided some conflict, but at what cost? Our multiple languages are a treasure, and I can't imagine a world without that variety. Plus, how boring would international film festivals be?!
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There's a concept in linguistics called linguistic relativity, or the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, which suggests that the language you speak influences how you perceive and categorize your world. If we all spoke the same language, it could hypothetically lead to a more uniform way of thinking globally. But then again, it's not proven how strong this effect is—just food for thought!
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Traveling would be a dream! No language courses, no translation apps, just go anywhere and chat with anyone. But gotta say, I’d miss the charm of learning new languages and the way it opens your eyes to different ways of thinking. Also, accents. Would accents still be a thing? Cuz they're kinda hot.
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While it's super interesting to consider, I doubt culture would be the same. Language shapes how we think, so a universal language might mean a more homogenous world culture. That said, it's a bit utopian, no? Sure, no language barriers sounds ideal, but people would still find reasons to argue and wage war... it's human nature. And don't get me started on the implications for literature and poetry! Those would be soooo different.
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I think about this all the time! If we had a universal language from the get-go, we'd probably be way ahead in some areas, like science and tech. Miscommunication is a huge barrier that slows everything down. And idk but I feel like culture would shift towards more global norms rather than local flavors since we'd all understand each other? But then maybe we'd cling to other things like fashion or food to show our uniqueness.