#na

A second type of direct evidence is formed by statements, whether as formal legends or personal information, regarding the age or relative sequence of events in tribal history made by the natives themselves. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#direct #events #evidence #formal #formed

Comparison of statements made at different periods frequently enable us to give maximal and minimal dates to the appearance of a cultural element or to assign the time limits to a movement of population. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#assign #comparison #cultural #dates #different

English, once accepted as an international language, is no more secure than French has proved to be as the one and only accepted language of diplomacy or as Latin has proved to be as the international language of science. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#diplomacy #english #french #international #international language

Human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the world of social activity as ordinarily understood, but are very much at the mercy of the particular language which has become the medium of expression for their society. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#alone #become #beings #expression #human

It would, of course, be hopeless to attempt to crowd into an international language all those local overtones of meaning which are so dear to the heart of the nationalist. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#course #crowd #dear #heart #hopeless

National languages are all huge systems of vested interests which sullenly resist critical inquiry. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#huge #inquiry #interests #languages #national

So far as the advocates of a constructed international language are concerned, it is rather to be wondered at how much in common their proposals actually have, both in vocabulary and in general spirit of procedure. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#both #common #concerned #constructed #far

The attitude of independence toward a constructed language which all national speakers must adopt is really a great advantage, because it tends to make man see himself as the master of language instead of its obedient servant. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#advantage #attitude #because #constructed #great

The modern mind tends to be more and more critical and analytical in spirit, hence it must devise for itself an engine of expression which is logically defensible at every point and which tends to correspond to the rigorous spirit of modern science. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#correspond #critical #devise #engine #every

The supposed inferiority of a constructed language to a national one on the score of richness of connotation is, of course, no criticism of the idea of a constructed language. ↗

— Edward Sapir

#constructed #course #criticism #idea #inferiority