Can we create a Global Language? - Part 01

I've always been disappointed when we say English is a Global language. Is it, really a Global Language? What takes for a language to become a Global language?

These and lots of other questions let me down a rabbit hole of learning how languages work, how they evolve over time and do we even require a Global language.

First, let me confess. I wasn't good at English language, but over time with practice I became better at it. I reside in Gujarat, India, and that is important to know because I have learnt Gujarati (my mother tongue), Hindi (kindaa my National language) and then I HAD to learn English (pseudo Global language).

Is that the reason am on this quest? No.

Since I wrote my first research paper- "Democratically Smart World- from neighbourhoods to the world " I made my mission to create a Democratically Smart World and my vision to live in a World free of boundaries.

Without going deeper within the paper, the paper focused on creating a new World where 3 major forces- Nature, Human and Technology live symbiotically with each other. Where everything runs democratically based on voting system, including Law, Governance, Community, Housing, Professions, Infrastructure etc. Hence the name, Democratically, Smart, World.

So, in order to do that there are various phases, and components which needs to come into place. I begin with "Language". Because what you speak, is what you are.

"I think, therefore I am"- Descartes.

I reiterate it, because I can only think or imagine based on my language. My imagination is bound by the Words I can speak or write. Hence, your language controls your imagination.

Now, why I don't consider English to be a Global language, and how can we create one? This Article is going to be written in 2 parts. This is Part 01 where we explore the 1st part.

English language was imposed on majority of the population because Britishers ruled over them. It was a language people had to learn in order to Survive and not because anybody wanted. That has not changed even today. Why do I NEED to learn English? Because I want to compete and survive at a Global level.

But the language itself is still controlled by a certain community, a certain society, a certain country. Is that fair when we talk about a Global language? Can I as a human being control what I want to speak, how I want to speak at a Global level?

No! Because the language I need to speak doesn't belong to me. I was and never will be a part of that community whose Mother tongue is English. We cannot control, regulate or change how the rules of the language work as a whole. Yes, maybe in smaller groups or generationally we change and break rules here and there, but otherwise we can't.

Why did I stumble upon this though? Maybe I have a lot of "free" time to spare? or am I crazy?

Well, even though I am crazy, I stumbled upon it when I was thinking about how GenZ uses Emojis and GIFs for communication.

That is the language used by Gen Z. But that is not new. Millennials started using abbreviations/short hands, and emoticons much before GenZ took over with their emojis and GIFs.

What has that to do with creating a Global language?

Emojis, GIFs, Short hands, Emoticons all are global in nature, and those are languages understood and used across continents!

Sparks ignited, and here I am. I started contemplating, reading, watching videos etc in trying to understand why. Then I realised that we are going back to "Symbols" as a language. Ring any bells?

Early humans used Symbols as a Written Language! That inspired me even further to dig deeper.

I found that there are 02 types of communication- Effective Communication and Descriptive Communication. Did I just made that up? Maybe.

Effective communication is when we want to pass on a message in least time, without using a lot of words/symbols. It is context dependent and hence is subjective.

Descriptive communication is when we want to document, publish work, do scientific research and needs to be Objective, definitive and cannot be context dependent. It has no time or words/symbols limit.

Early humans didn't have the need for Descriptive language, and hence they just used Effective language such as symbols. Post renaissance we started having the need of Descriptive languages at a Global level.

Also, descriptive language is used for mass propaganda, governance and law enforcement, which again wasn't a priority for early humans.

That is why we are seeing the growth of Emojis and GIFs as a Global language today, used by GenZ, who wants to control their language, the way they communicate and because it is context dependent it is difficult for the outsiders to interpret, hence making it the perfect language for their generation.

Because I got swayed by Emojis as a language, I started wondering can I write a Book using just that? That led me to realise that descriptive and effective are two different language types and each have their own place in our civilization.

Then, how can we create a True Global Language? Stay tuned for the Part 02 of this Article next Thursday.

If what I wrote sparked anything within you, please subscribe and share with your friends. I'll pen down my ideas every Tuesday and Thursday. So, stay tuned :)