On Culture

Languages are the fundamental vehicle, or vector, of what we call culture, which unites people as it divides them from others.

Importantly, although wars are definitely fought over ideas and started by propaganda, it is doubtful any war or serious conflict was started over any of the non-verbal aspects of culture, which I try to list below.

In many cases a language divide results in a cultural divide, the Great Schism of 1054 , the Protestant Reformation are two examples. I know of no examples where a cultural divide results in a division of language groups.

Language dominates these elements of culture directly:

• stories from your parents, relatives, peers and community
• education
• news dissemination
• religions
• written stories
• song lyrics
• theatre
• poetry
• television, movies and video with talking

Language has a far more limited impact on these elements of culture:

• dance
• fashion and makeup
• perfumes
• instrumental music
• food (although cookbooks are written in language)
• sculpture and paintings (although both might be based on stories)
• moving pictures without talking

Taking as examples the moves against iconography and images of the Protestant Reformation, Islam, and Nikon in the Orthodox Christian church, we see a decision made in language, the decision not to have certain types of images or icons, being enacted within a linguistic area, e.g. Nikon's rulings did not effect non-Russian speaking areas.