LANGUAGE AND GEOGRAPHICAL, ETHNIC AND NATIONAL IDENTITY

Language and Geographical Identity

Language present as an abstract of a community of speakers thus it is the medium through which
people communicate with each other Geography was first use by Erasthosthenes a Greek
thinker the term geography is formed by combination of word "geo" (earth, world) and
"graphein" described by writting or drawing.

Geography also refers to the natural environment interaction of human.

As language symbolises or codifies concepts by word,it is also indicate and express the
difference world views of cultures,which in turn depend on the natural environment or what we
call geography.

Individual cultures and their languages categorise complex reality in different ways. The mode of
categorisation and the preciseness of resolution depend on what is important for a certain culture:
People living in snowy regions have several concepts of snow. Shepherds subdivide the concept
of sheep by gender, age, visual appearance and even temporary location. Coffee drinker cultures
like the Viennese divide coffee into various kinds.

Generally speaking geography plays a big role in language from creation down to todays
language innovation.

Language and Ethnic Identity

Language- is a system of communication which consists of a sets of sounds and written symbols
which are use by the people of a particular country or region for talking or writing ethnic

Identity- is defined as a sense of belonging based on one's ancestry, cultural heritage, values,
traditions rituals and often language and religion.

Language is always part of ethnic identity because language is a primary characteristics that
separate group of humans who speak different language.

There is a relationship between a speaker’s ethnic group membership and the use of language.
By applying specific structural features a speaker’s linguistic variety can be used to express this
speaker’s ethnic identity

According to Bobby Laurel the relationship between language and ethnicity depends on many
factors. Some ethnic groups identify themselves with their language in a very tight way.

According to Pavlenko andd Blackledge (2004) "languages may not only be markers of identity
but also sites of resistance, empowerment, solidarity, and discrimination.

Language and National Identity

According to Fuentecha (2017), language is always tied up to one's culture and, of course, his
identity. However, the Filipinos cannot even speak anymore of cultural identity, with some social
scientists even talking of a "damaged culture". As a people, the Filipinos have extensively
adapted and substantially adopted the Western culture.

The Philippines' national hero, Jose Rizal, expressed the utmostimportance of loving one's
country through loving one's language, among others. He wrote in Filipino: "Ang di marunong
magmahal sa sariling wika, ay mas masahol pa sa malansang isda." He said that it is difficult to
consider one as a nationalist if he was ashamed of his own language.

According to Abbassi (2016), national language is a driving force behind national unity.

National identity, the sense of belonging to one state or nation, rather than another, is far from a
natural phenomenon. It rather requires the presence of a number of symbols of various kinds,
which people can identify with. These can include flags, songs, colours, the nation’s history
(particularly the national creation myth), culture, food, etc.

A common language can be a very potent such symbol. For that reason, nations, particularly
emerging ones, have often tried to encourage or even enforce use of the national language, with
varying degrees of success.

References:

https://geografie.uvt.ro/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/07_JORDAN_2.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298888477_Language_and_ethnic_identity

http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/uncategorized/a-national-language-represents-the-national-
identity-of-a-country/

https://www.thedailystar.net/news/language-is-the-soul-of-nationalism