“ if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. ”
George Orwell, Politics and the English Language (1946). copy citation
| Author | George Orwell |
|---|---|
| Source | Politics and the English Language |
| Topic | language corruption thought |
| Date | 1946 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | in "Horizon" |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/politics/english/e_polit/ |
Context
“I should expect to find — this is a guess which I have not sufficient knowledge to verify — that the German, Russian and Italian languages have all deteriorated in the last ten or fifteen years, as a result of dictatorship.
But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. A bad usage can spread by tradition and imitation even among people who should and do know better. The debased language that I have been discussing is in some ways very convenient. Phrases like a not unjustifiable assumption, leaves much to be desired, would serve no good purpose, a consideration which we should do well to bear in mind, are a continuous temptation, a packet of aspirins always at one's elbow.” source
But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. A bad usage can spread by tradition and imitation even among people who should and do know better. The debased language that I have been discussing is in some ways very convenient. Phrases like a not unjustifiable assumption, leaves much to be desired, would serve no good purpose, a consideration which we should do well to bear in mind, are a continuous temptation, a packet of aspirins always at one's elbow.” source
Meaning and analysis
