Quotes About Language

I couldn't tell what he was feeling, because I couldn't speak the language of his feelings.

I invented a book that listed every word in every language. It wouldn't be a very useful book, but you could hold it and know that everything you could possibly say was in your hands.

And was the next word I lost, probably because it was so close to her name, what a simple word to say, what a profound word to lose.

Mr. Black started singing a song in some weird language, which I guess was Philippinish.

Alex?" I told him yes. "You're my translator, right?" I asked him to be slow, because I could not understand him. In truth I was manufacturing a brick wall of shits.

Usamos una serie de teatrales señas con las manos para comunicar lo que un simple susurro habría hecho con la misma eficacia. Pero hemos hecho voto de silencio: ni una palabra hasta que estemos a salvo, de camino a casa.

I don't speak," he wrote, "I'm sorry.

The Eskimos have four hundred words for snow, and the Jews have four hundred for schmuck.

E asa de greu sa te exprimi. - Eu inteleg. - Eu vreau sa ma exprim. - La fel si eu. - Imi caut vocea. - E in gura ta.

But it's actually pretty easy to say horrible things: retard, cunt, whatever. In a way, it's even easier because we know exactly how bad the words are. There's nothing scary about them. Part of what makes something really hard to say is the not knowing.

Ik wist niet wat hij voelde want ik kende de taal van zijn gevoel niet

You are a schmuck," I informed the hero. "You're not using the word correctly," he said. "Yes I am," I said.

Non potevo sapere cosa stava provando, perché non potevo capire il linguaggio dei suoi sentimenti. Io non sapevo che è New York. In cinese ny è tu. Credevo che voleva dire 'Io amo tu'. E' stato allora che ho notato i poster 'I<3 NY' sulle porte, e gli strofinacci 'I <3 NY' e il contenitore per alimenti 'I <3 NY' sul tavolo della cucina

Punch with your mouth and talk with your feet.

We have made unspeakable mean indescribable: it really means nasty.

Words are the clothing of our thoughts.

Punning is a talent which no man affects to despise but he that is without it.

My hours of leisure I spent in reading the best authors, ancient and modern, being always provided with a good number of books; and when I was ashore, in observing the manners and dispositions of the people, as well as learning their language; wherein I had a great facility, by the strength of my memory.

The other project was, a scheme for entirely abolishing all words whatsoever; and this was urged as a great advantage in point of health, as well as brevity.

My hours of leisure I spent in reading the best authors, ancient and modern, being always provided with a good number of books; and when I was ashore, in observing the manners and dispositions of the people, as well as learning their language; wherein I had a great facility, by the strength of my memory. The last of these voyages not proving very fortunate

The emperor of Lilliput, attended by several of the nobility, comes to see the author in his confinement. The emperor's person and habit described. Learned men appointed to teach the author their language. He gains favour by his mild disposition. His pockets are searched, and his sword and pistols taken from him.

door. It was likewise ordered, that three hundred tailors should make me a suit of clothes, after the fashion of the country; that six of his majesty's greatest scholars should be employed to instruct me in their language; and lastly, that the emperor's horses, and those of the nobility and troops of guards, should be frequently exercised in my sight, to accustom themselves to me.

we neither of us are able to deliver our conceptions in a manner intelligible to the other.

La palabra que yo traduzco por la isla volante o flotante es en el idioma original laputa, de la cual no he podido saber nunca la verdadera etimología. Lap, en el lenguaje antiguo fuera de uso, significa alto, y untuh, piloto; de donde dicen que, por corrupción, se deriva laputa, de lapuntuh.