"The attitude of independence toward a constructed language which all national speakers must adopt is really a great advantage, because it tends to make man see himself as the master of language instead of its obedient servant"
About this Quote
The key move is the phrase “attitude of independence.” Sapir isn’t praising independence from other people so much as independence from linguistic authority: tradition, accent prestige, the tyranny of “proper” usage. In national languages, fluency is a birthright unevenly distributed; in a constructed language, competence is earned and therefore contestable. That changes what speakers feel entitled to do: ask why a rule exists, propose a better one, treat grammar as design rather than destiny.
His subtext is also a warning about servitude. “Obedient servant” evokes the way language disciplines thought and social belonging - how “correctness” becomes a moral category, how institutions gatekeep participation through jargon, schooling, and standards that masquerade as neutral. Sapir, writing in the early 20th century amid nationalism, mass schooling, and internationalist dreams (think Esperanto’s cultural moment), is gesturing at an alternative civic psychology: if you can see a language being built, you can see all languages as built. Once that curtain drops, “master of language” means something bigger than vocabulary. It means the confidence to treat communication as something humans author - and can re-author.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Sapir, Edward. (2026, January 17). The attitude of independence toward a constructed language which all national speakers must adopt is really a great advantage, because it tends to make man see himself as the master of language instead of its obedient servant. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-attitude-of-independence-toward-a-constructed-46440/
Chicago Style
Sapir, Edward. "The attitude of independence toward a constructed language which all national speakers must adopt is really a great advantage, because it tends to make man see himself as the master of language instead of its obedient servant." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-attitude-of-independence-toward-a-constructed-46440/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The attitude of independence toward a constructed language which all national speakers must adopt is really a great advantage, because it tends to make man see himself as the master of language instead of its obedient servant." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-attitude-of-independence-toward-a-constructed-46440/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
