Quintessentialist

Consider this quote: “Language is the armory of the human mind, and at once contains the trophies of its past and the weapons of its future conquests.”

The assumption can be made that language resides in the mind awaiting use. To make the rest of the quote clear, it must be deconstructed. The 15th century definition of armory refers to a place where arms are not stored, but manufactured, implying that language and its use is a creative process. The word trophy comes from trope, meaning “a figure of speech”; trophy means “a spoil or prize of war” from Middle French; together, trophy means a figurative prize; if language is a prize of war from the past, it must be an indestructible unit of value.

The word weapon comes from Germanic roots, most likely from the West Germanic tribes who invaded England in the 5th century AD, and who the Romans borrowed the word from to replace bellum (Latin for war, uncomfortably associated with beauty). Because the West Germanic tribes loved a great warrior, words relating to war infiltrated their culture (i.e. the word “wig”, like Wiglaf from Beowulf; incidentally, Beowulf is one of the earliest written pieces of the English language).

Language as a weapon can therefore:

• conquer, meaning “defeat, or vanquish” from Old French

OR

• conquer, meaning “procure by effort” from Latin

Therefore, language can be used as a weapon of mass destruction (subjugating other countries of non-native speakers) or elevate an object, person (Eliza Doolitle), etc..

In case you’ve lost track, that is: Language is a manufactured but indestructable unit of high value, with the power to destroy or exalt the culture and society of its native speakers, as well as the culture and society of surrounding non-native speakers.

AKA, a weapon of mass destruction.