Roll it off the tongue!

Here's a podcast I did in collaboration with Nicole!

Language is an instrument.

As medieval Spanish linguist Antonio de Nebrija said to Queen Isabella, "Language is an empire's greatest instrument." which could have many different meanings. Empires are known to conquer and colonize, instruments could mean a plethora of things such as devices, tools or even such things to create music. Taking in the account the context is colonialism, the instrument here could be meant as a device. Music is usually meant for performances, entertainment and joyous occasions, all of which colonialism is not. Language is a weapon that can deconstruct or add on to cultures, it can be used to assimilate itself unto a region unknown to the originators. Colonizers like France, Britain and Spain force their languages to their colonies like the mediterranean, North America, or South America respectfully. To the natives of those regions, their culture is being lost since language is a big part of culture.

Culture, as the British Oxford dictionary defines it, is "The ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society.". This means that it's a way of life, it's part of their history and surroundings and it should not be taken away from them. Languages, however, can co-exist, although colonizers of the past wouldn't agree as they though that it was their language that was the purest, and should be the only spoken tongue on stolen land. There are examples of languages in the modern world co-existing, post-colonialism. Countries such as Canada, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates all have two or more prominent languages spoken in their nations due to the effects of colonialism.

So to conclude, Antonio de Nebrija clearly meant language is a device that can be used by empires spread their words throughout a region.