Maurice Allais Quotes

Throughout the European Middle Ages and Renaissance, Latin was the language of learning and international communication. But in the early modern period, it was gradually displaced by French. By the eighteenth century, all the world - or at least all of Europe - aspired to be Parisian.

English is taking over the world. I just wrote a piece about it. And it's not by design. The United States dominates because it's the biggest market.

It is a general truth that students of language in every era try to colonize some or all of the other human sciences.

The ways in which language changes never ceases to interest me.

I love English, though I now call it 'Anglo- American' because we no longer speak British English due to globalization and America's economic power.

Language changes very fast.

We are always going to be influenced by America... I watched the word 'bum' go out and 'butt' come in. And part of me says, oh that's a shame, but Aussie boys are still Aussie boys.

Realistically, English is a universal language; it's the number one language for music and for communicating with the rest of the world.

Each language has its own take on the world. That's why a translation can never be absolutely exact, and therefore, when you enter another language and speak with its speakers, you become a slightly different person; you learn a different sort of world.

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.

More than 300 million people in the world speak English and the rest, it sometimes seems, try to.

There was a time when liberals were linguistically dominant in America.

The issue of American world cultural dominance is moot. All the international debates on the issue seem to be held in English.

Globalization has brought a proliferation of such environments, so that even monolinguals must increasingly learn to live and act multilingually.

I'd have to say that it kills me that there's a concern that 'Torchwood' has gone to America to become Americanised.

English does have a larger vocabulary than other languages because of its history as the primary language of science and its global reach.

My English is actually getting worse. We talk Spanish at home and switch to English only when we need it. Like when we go to the bank to get some money.

My plea is for banishing the English language as a cultural usurper, as we successfully banished the political rule of the English usurper.

Modernization means Westernization.

... the progress of the language has caused us to lose many old treasures. It is thus with all progress, and one must make the best of it.

The canker has so eaten into the society that in many cases the only meaning of education is a knowledge of English.

Will America be the death of English? I'm glad I asked me that. My well-thought-out mature judgment is that it will.

I am under the spell of language, which has ruled me since I was 10.

Because English is the universal language. No matter where you come from, if you sing in English, you can cross over to the world.

Of course, English is a very powerful language, a colonizer's language and a gift to a writer. English has destroyed and sucked up the languages of other cultures - its cruelty is its vitality.