Speaking the same language

I speak one language. Many people in European countries speak languages in addition to their native one. Granted, in Europe, countries are closer together. Even so, beyond Europe, people speak multiple languages or at least can read them. I could read French well in college and speak it passably, but I got busy and let that skill get rusty. I wish I had kept up with it.

We have regional accents of English in this country that sound like people are speaking a different language. People say their vowels differently or drop consonants. When I lived in New England, people called me “Linder Haht.” I sometimes didn’t recognize my own name.

There are also different names for common items like soda. Here in the South, all carbonated beverages are Coke. Elsewhere, they are called pop, or even “soft drink.” Before I moved here, I had never heard the terms “might could” or “fixin’ to.” Conversely, where I am from, “howyadoin’ is a common one-word greeting.

Have you experienced different vocabularies across generations? It can be like speaking different languages. This chart delineates generations by birth year. I found this really interesting. I began to think about the ways we act, think, relate and speak based on the year of our birth.

Here is an experience new to me. A younger friend of mine is the mom of a young teen. She posted on Facebook that she was proud of her child for calling out a bully at school for “dead naming” someone in their class. I had to look up what that meant. It refers to calling someone who has transitioned or who is going through the process of gender transition their assigned name at birth, rather than the name they prefer to be called now. It was not an accidental slip of the tongue. It was a put-down. If you were ever called a demeaning nickname by other kids, you know it hurts more than you let on. By the way, this family intentionally raised their child bilingual in English and Spanish because of where they live. Regardless of what you may think of the situation, you can appreciate that their family’s values come through in knowing the power of words.

Here is an example of Gen Alpha slang. “IRL, I don’t have younger people in my fam. TBH, Bruh, I am not delulu that I vibe on Gen Alpha speak. After all, I am a skibidi boomer. No cap.”

Translation: “In real life, I do not have younger people in my family. To be honest, brother, I am not delusional that I have fun with Gen Alpha slang. After all, I am a silly Boomer. That’s the truth.”

There are ways we can be made aware of the presence of languages different from our own. One is with signage. When I visited the province of Quebec, signs were all in French and English and sometimes also in a First Nations language. In the Republic of Ireland, all road signs are in both English and Gaelic.

Gaelic was dying out as a spoken or written language. Here is a country’s effort to put an indigenous language before people’s eyes. I admit that seeing the signs did not help me pronounce Gaelic words.

If here in the U.S. or in any country, for that matter, we wish to experience unity, we have to find ways to speak the same language. This takes effort, which includes tuning our ears to sounds we are not accustomed to hearing, both on a literal and figurative level. We have to be aware that not everyone sees things from our perspective or approaches topics in a similar way. In times of tense division, it is even more important to hone our listening skills and not assume we understand what the other person is saying or what they mean by their words.

We can make a good start, first and foremost, by eliminating any and all dehumanizing language when speaking about other people or groups. If we are brave, we will also call it out in others and not tolerate it around us. Not only is it in poor taste, it is a step that leads to the diminishing of another’s worth and dignity. That leads to permitting diminishment of their rights and freedoms. In worst-case scenarios, it leads to violence. This is not a partisan issue.

Words matter and language shapes thoughts and actions. I would go so far as to say that we should catch ourselves if we begin to call others “they” or “them.” That word use can signal the beginning of a dehumanizing thought process. Zero tolerance of dehumanizing language is a basic way to apply the Golden Rule in everyday life. This is something we can model for others and teach by example.