Language seems just a word, but it shapes us, our conduct, our relationships, and our worldview of the beings. What is language, after all? A combination of words, but where do the words come from? And how do some of these words evolve into "terms" that encapsulate and convey a certain meaning? More importantly, who defines these terms? And what happens when these terms become a part of world discourse and are embraced uncritically by the 8.2 billion population across the globe? Once part of the worldwide daily lexicon, these terms carry immense weight. As Judith Butler would say, words are 'performative', implying that language does not just describe, it enacts reality.

Nietzsche identified language as a 'mobile army of metaphors', and Foucault went a step ahead and described language as a part of discourse, defining terms treated as truth and knowledge. Knowledge, for him, has a direct nexus with power. Whoever coins and defines the 'terms' embodies a power structure, shaping the social reality we reside in. Just take the linguistic framing of two........

© The Express Tribune