Language Proverbs

When I have tense relations with my wife, we speak in Arabic. When we talk business, then we speak English. And when our relationship is better, then we talk French.

Boutros Boutros Ghali, 1998, ‘They Said It’, in The Daily Post, 12th November 1998


To me there are only two languages in the world: French and Greek.

Oscar Wilde, c.1892 in Richard Ellman, Oscar Wilde (1987), Ch. 14


As many languages as he has, as many friends, as many arts and trades, so many times is he a man.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1860, ‘Culture’, in The Conduct of Life


With each newly learned language you acquire a new soul.

Proverbial (Slovakia)


The original is unfaithful to the translation.

Jorge Luis Borges, 1957, ‘On a Translation by Henley’, in Obras Completas (trans. 1974), p.730


We never do anything well until we cease to think about the manner of doing it. This is the reason why it is so difficult for any but natives to speak a language correctly or idiomatically.

William Hazlitt, 1839, ‘On Prejudice’, in Sketches and Essays



The most difficult step in the study of languages is the first step.

Leonard Bloomfield, 1933, Language, Ch. 1


In the study of languages, one can safely assume nothing.

Edward T. Hall. 1959, The Silent Language, Ch. 5


We must beware of Humpty Dumpty syndrome. We should never take language apart without the intention and ability to put it back together again.

David Crystal, 1984, ‘Terms, Time and Teeth’, in Linguistic Encounters with Language Handicap