Does the language we speak shape the way we see the world, the way we think, and the way we live our lives? According to anthropological linguist Daniel Everett, language can be considered a cultural tool to relate a community’s values and ideals and is shaped and molded by these residents over time.
According to the principle of linguistic relativity, the way people think of the world is influenced directly by the language that the people use to talk about it. Or more radically, people could only perceive aspects of the world for which their language has words. To put it simply, the language we speak affect our perceptions of the world.
Indigenous communities like ours are faced with a lot of issues brought about by modernity, one among which is the language. Today, we are exposed to so many new ideas. These new ideas carry meanings that are not describable in our language, for example, politics. And then there are ideas in our language that are not describable in English, for example, Sobaliba. Thus, what we understand of ‘politics’ in our language is very different from the real idea of politics and how others understand ‘sobaliba’ when we describe it to them is very different from the actual idea of Sobaliba.
In any given public gathering, one of the most common ‘polite’ ways of addressing an elected representative these days is “asen lenir” or “our leader”. Here, the language we use has by default qualified the elected representative in question as our leader. However, the truth is that not all elected representatives are leaders! When we call an elected representative “asen lenir,” we are ascribing the qualities of a “lenir” to the elected representative. This is because we do not have a word in our language to describe an elected representative. The “lenir” in our language is someone who does more than just lead people. The “lenir” is driven by the right motivation and make a positive impact on the community. Therefore, an elected representative who does not have the right motivation and does not have any positive impact on the community is not a “lenir” and should not be addressed as such. An elected representative who was elected through dubious means, for instance, cannot be called a “lenir” and an elected representative who is so far detached from his constituents surely cannot be called “asen lenir.”
As stated above, language is a cultural tool to relate a community’s values and ideals. Therefore, when we use the words “asen lenir” in our language to address an elected representative, we are misplacing the values and ideals. Simply addressing him as “asen MLA” or “asen Minister” would be more befitting. Not all elected representatives are leaders.