The human, Aristotle declared, is the most sociable animal. He, outside of society, can either become a god, or beast. The characteristics that define the homo sapiens, elevated language, reasoning, thought, moral value systems, discipline, can only be gained in a community. Being part of a society imposes a certain sense of belonging, that has been present since the age of tribes until today. This necessity of being part of a community has led theoreticians to come with the notion of “national identity” or “ethnic identity”.
When humans lived primarily in tribes, the sense of belonging was high, because every individual was essential to the well-being of the community itself and the inter-human bonds were strong. With the evolution of social habitats, the sense of belonging withered, because it was getting more and more difficult to see oneself as part of such a large group of people that share the same experience. This made people restless and more prone to riots, as they felt no connection to their leaders and felt as if the laws were only benefiting the high-end society.
This is the time when the notion of nation and patriotism started to appear. People craved a deeper sense of belonging, so they searched for similarities between each other. And so they found right away that what binds them is indeed the way they communicate: their language. They went on to develop traditions and expressions that strengthened their bond.These identities become an anchoring point, allowing individuals to navigate the complexities of modern society while retaining a sense of belonging and purpose. But at its core, national identities were able to form because people understood each other, because they spoke the same language.
Research today shows that the language one speaks not only affects peoples’ interaction, beliefs, and experiences, but the way their brain works. Scientists have done studies on the influence of language on the development of the brain and have compared the neurological pathways of German and Arabic speakers. They have found out that while German speakers have stronger white matter networks within the left hemisphere, the Arabic native speakers had denser networks bridging the two hemispheres. So saying one can say that people who speak the same language think similarly isn’t completely untrue.
As language developed, so did identities, people’s worldviews and self-perception being shaped by the societal norms within their language groups. For example, with the adoption of new French words into european languages in the 18th century, people started to adopt the clothing style mainstream in the French Royal Court, the Rococo, all throughout Europe. Simultaneously, as identity shifts and develops, the language must develop too, in order to keep up with the new cultural trends.
Identity is who we are and only through language can one express who he is. So, the connection between the two notions is not surprising, but the depth and complexity of the relationship between the two is. Our sense of belonging and community will always be shaped by the ever-changing interaction between language and identity.
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