2,489 Quotes About Language

Life can be a misunderstanding, if we are ignorant of the right language or don’t try to learn it. « If lions could speak, we would not understand them. » says Ludwig Wittgenstein. If we make an effort, however, we could manage to understand. ( “ Life was a misunderstanding » )

[M]y favorite teacher was explaining that you don't say but however. These are pleonasms: the use of more words than necessary to express an idea. There are times in life that are very but however.

A misspelled word is probably an alias for some desperate call for aid, which is bound to fail.

És tan fàcil com canviar un verb; ell sap bé que el llenguatge té el poder de transformar la realitat o, si més no, d'alterar-la encara que sigui momentàniament.

Grammar is the Heart of Learning Language

Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.

Most often when I stammerThat's my brainCorrecting my grammer.

Every language has a grammar, a set of rules that govern usage and meaning, and literary language is no different. It’s all more or less arbitrary of course, just like language itself.

The best grammarian still can't write a verse.