Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides.
–Rita Mae Brown (b. 1944)
Language is a virus from outer space.
–William S. Burroughs (1914 – 1997)
To have another language is to possess a second soul.
–Charlemagne (748 – 814)
Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.
–Flora Lewis (1922—2002)
Language is a skin: I rub my language against the other. It is as if I had words instead of fingers, or fingers at the tip of my words. My language trembles with desire.
–Roland Barthes (1915 – 1980)
Language is to the mind more than light is to the eye.
–William Gibson (b. 1948)
The finest command of language is often shown by saying nothing.
–Roger Babson (1875 – 1967)
Human language is like a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, when all the time we are longing to move the stars to pity.
–Gustave Flaubert (1821 – 1880)
The limits of my language means the limits of my world.
–Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 – 1951)
Language most shows a man: Speak, that I may see thee. It springs out of the most retired and inmost parts of us, and is the image of the parent of it, the mind. No glass renders a man’s form or likeness so true as his speech.
–Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)
The Skeptic's Kaddish 🇮🇱 
“The finest command of language is often shown by saying nothing.”
I like this one a lot! 🙂
😃 me too! 😃
David ❤️
💚 Punam 💚
I did philosophy of language at university and language fascinates me.
💛 Andrew 💛 – me too!
Then we must have words young man
😂 Andrew 😂
Great selection of quotes, David.
I especially appreciated Charlemagne’s and chuckled at Burroughs’.
Shabbat Shalom.
D
🧡 Dolly 🧡
Love ALL the quotes David but especially the one from Flora Lewis: ”
“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things,
but learning another way to think about things.”👏🏻❣️🦋
🧡 Karima 🧡 – I agree!
Excellent collection of quotes. I am especially fond of the Ben Johnson quote. Thank you David.
🧸 Suzette, thank you 🧸
Thank you!