What did medieval linguist Antonio de Nebrija mean when he told Queen Isabella that: “language is the perfect instrument of empire?” How has language contributed to colonial power? Focus on a specific example.



In my opinion what Antonio De Nebrija meant, in this example is that language is almost like a leash, which keeps all of (in this case) its colonies in check. Language has significantly contributed to colonial power in various manners, some more obvious than others. In order to best prove this, take the evidence of the British Empire.

Britain was considered to be the largest empire that ever existed, meaning that they left an everlasting mark on all their colonies. Language, according to me is the vehicle of communication. In order to communicate with their colonies, British forced around 89% of them to learn English. Now, colonies such as the Red Indians, the Indians themselves and even the Europeans have faced the backlash of this decision. Imagine this situation, you are trying to teach a class full of students who speak Mandarin, a science lesson in French. This just doesn't equate because, the students will have absolutely no idea what you are saying, meaning no orders will be followed, and penultimately there will be chaos. Enter Antonio de Nebrija, who perfectly summarizes the importance of a uniform language being equated with a successful empire. 

Moreover, if there isn't a uniform language the Britishers wouldn't be able to understand what the colonist populations were up to and had a risk of being usurped. Rewind back to your classroom, now imagine that the Chinese students start gossiping about how to find a substitute teacher to replace you, and you are none the wiser. This is exactly the same case.

Thus, in conclusion a language helps in empowering a colonial power significantly by allowing them to communicate efficiently with their subjects, whilst staying aware of the "devious" plans the people in the colonies might be up to.