Quote

The language of friendship is not words but meanings.

Language is the means by which we negotiate our relationship with time.

I boldly assert, in fact I think I know, that a lot of friendships and connections absolutely depend upon a sort of shared language, or slang. Not necessarily designed to exclude others, this can establish a certain comity and, even after a long absence, re-establish it in a second.

Every relationship has its own language. It takes a long time to evolve and read one another. Just as it's true for people, it's also true on a national or cultural level.

I grew up speaking both languages, and for me that's really important.

My writing is about connecting ways of talking to human relationships. My purpose is to show that linguistics has something to offer in understanding and improving relationships.

Language is a social art.

For most women, the language of conversation is primarily a language of rapport: a way of establishing connections and negotiating relationships.

Some languages expand not only your ability to speak to different people but what you're able to think.

I'm very interested in language because it reflects our obsessions and ways of conceptualising the world.