--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I told them this was their language, this…" description: "\"“I told them this was their language, this English, this most marvellous and expressive cloak of meaning and imagination. This great, exclamatory, illu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/a-a-gill-2-35417_greatest-gift_i-told-them-this-was-their-language-this_393188.jpg" --- # I told them this was their language, this English, this… ![“I told them this was their language, this English, this most marvellous and expressive cloak of meaning and imagination. This great, exclamatory, illuminating song, it belonged to anyone who found it in their mouths. There was no wrong way to say it, or write it, the language couldn’t be compelled…” quote by A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/a-a-gill-2-35417_greatest-gift_i-told-them-this-was-their-language-this_393188.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/a-a-gill-2-35417_greatest-gift_i-told-them-this-was-their-language-this_393188.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/a-a-gill-2-35417_greatest-gift_i-told-them-this-was-their-language-this_393188.jpg) > ““I told them this was their language, this English, this most marvellous and expressive cloak of meaning and imagination. This great, exclamatory, illuminating song, it belonged to anyone who found it in their mouths. There was no wrong way to say it, or write it, the language couldn’t be compelled or herded, it couldn’t be tonsured or pruned, pollarded or plaited, it was as hard as oaths and as subtle as rhyme. It couldn’t be forced or bullied or policed by academics; it wasn’t owned by those with flat accents; nobody had the right to tell them how to use it or what to say. There are no rules and nobody speaks incorrectly, because there is no correctly: no high court of syntax. And while everyone can speak with the language, nobody speaks for the language. Not grammars, not dictionaries. They just run along behind, picking up discarded usages. This English doesn’t belong to examiners or teachers. All of you already own the greatest gift, the highest degree this country can bestow. It’s on the tip of your tongue.”” [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language is a living, personal expression that cannot be owned or strictly regulated; it belongs to all speakers who shape it organically. **In simple terms:** English is free and personal. Key Takeaway Respect language’s fluidity. Themes language identity freedom creativity Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - writing - public discourse Key Concepts linguistics cultural expression social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Who decides what is “correct” language? - How can we protect linguistic diversity? A Different Perspective Language can be misused to exclude or marginalize. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [English Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-doesn-1242617/) [Greatest gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-gift/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Language Couldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-couldn-3543295/) [Language Speaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language-speaks-741547/) [Told Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-language-1585005/) [Write Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-language-992740/) [Wrong way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-way/) ## Related quotes > [“Padre always told me me language was sulphurous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-greenwood/padre-always-told-me-me-language-was-sulphurous/) [Kerry Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-greenwood/) > [Stories that can be told through language and words don't need to be filmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-wen/stories-that-can-be-told-through-language-and-words-don-t-need-to-be/) [Jiang Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-wen/) > [“I guess that isn't the right word," she said. She was used to apologizing for her use of language. She had been encouraged to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr-2/i-guess-that-isn-t-the-right-word-she-said-she-was-used-to/) [Kurt Vonnegut, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr-2/) > [“If I only could communicate in sign language, I couldn't visit other deaf people overseas because I'd be worried I couldn't understand their accents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcmullen-sullivan/if-i-only-could-communicate-in-sign-language-i-couldn-t-visit-other/) [David McMullen-Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcmullen-sullivan/) > [“Most white people in Midland City were insecure when they spoke, so they kept their sentences short and their words simple, in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/most-white-people-in-midland-city-were-insecure-when-they-spoke-so/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Although spoken English doesn't obey the rules of written language, a person who doesn't know the rules thoroughly is at a great disadvantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/although-spoken-english-doesn-t-obey-the-rules-of-written-language-a/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [One notable feature is that English doesn't have much of a system for expressing relative social status.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/one-notable-feature-is-that-english-doesn-t-have-much-of-a-system-for/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [Find a priest who understands English and doesn't look like Rasputin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle-onassis/find-a-priest-who-understands-english-and-doesn-t-look-like-rasputin/) [Aristotle Onassis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle-onassis/) > [You could imagine a language exactly like English except it doesn't have connectives like 'and' that allow you to make longer expressions. An infant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-could-imagine-a-language-exactly-like-english-except-it-doesn-t/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Just because someone doesn’t have a grasp of English doesn’t mean they don’t have a grasp on disparagement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-murphy/just-because-someone-doesn-t-have-a-grasp-of-english-doesn-t-mean/) [Finn Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-murphy/) > [english doesn't borrow from other languages. english follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nicoll/english-doesn-t-borrow-from-other-languages-english-follows-other/) [James Nicoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nicoll/) > [“Just because you and your partner both speak English doesn’t necessarily mean you speak the same language.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-makai/just-because-you-and-your-partner-both-speak-english-doesn-t/) [Michael Makai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-makai/) > [In Korean, my lyrics are witty and have twists. But translated into English, it doesn't come over. I've tried writing in English, just for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psy/in-korean-my-lyrics-are-witty-and-have-twists-but-translated-into/) [PSY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psy/) > [“We need to write in a language that they can read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saad-ireland/we-need-to-write-in-a-language-that-they-can-read/) [Saad Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saad-ireland/) > [“Deal with your readers that they are smart, and write a language that suits their intelligence. - How to write the best story-”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryam-abdullah-alnaymi/deal-with-your-readers-that-they-are-smart-and-write-a-language-that/) [Maryam Abdullah Alnaymi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryam-abdullah-alnaymi/) ## More by A.A. Gill > [“Accent is the last great redoubt of prejudice. The race relations industry, that inquisition of fairness and sensitivity, doesn't protect against discrimination by funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/accent-is-the-last-great-redoubt-of-prejudice-the-race-relations/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“The only type of humor that is excused lower classness is satire, and satire is the chamber music of comedy - a joke that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/the-only-type-of-humor-that-is-excused-lower-classness-is-satire-and/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“Nobody knows exactly where the first chickens were domesticated – India, China, Thailand, Vietnam – somewhere around 10,000 years ago, which is to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/nobody-knows-exactly-where-the-first-chickens-were-domesticated-india/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“The definition of wit is a joke that doesn't make you laugh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/the-definition-of-wit-is-a-joke-that-doesn-t-make-you-laugh/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“There was a powerful and effulgent smell of industrial disinfectant. It's a smell that never reassures you about cleanliness; rather, it makes you doubly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/there-was-a-powerful-and-effulgent-smell-of-industrial-disinfectant/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“The Gulf is the proof of Carnegie’s warning about wealth: ‘There is no class so pitiably wretched as that which possesses money and nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/the-gulf-is-the-proof-of-carnegie-s-warning-about-wealth-there-is-no/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“Ronald Reagan was a man who knew the diplomatic form. He also had a showman’s ear for a tune. So when, at an official…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/ronald-reagan-was-a-man-who-knew-the-diplomatic-form-he-also-had-a/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“Down a winding cobbled street from the church trips the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, the most evocative and strangely dramatic of all morris dances,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/down-a-winding-cobbled-street-from-the-church-trips-the-abbots/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“Trojan is giving away Magnum large condoms (do you think they were named after a large wooden animal inside which thousands of little men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/trojan-is-giving-away-magnum-large-condoms-do-you-think-they-were/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“There is no tragedy so utter that a Belgian, with the best will in the world, can’t make worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/there-is-no-tragedy-so-utter-that-a-belgian-with-the-best-will-in-the/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“The purpose of an army must surely be to put itself out of business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/the-purpose-of-an-army-must-surely-be-to-put-itself-out-of-business/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) > [“It must be said that almost all primitive people think themselves divinely wrought, singled out and special. Often their names translate simply as "the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill-2/it-must-be-said-that-almost-all-primitive-people-think-themselves/) [A.A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) [Explore all 13 A.A. Gill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill-2/) ## More Greatest gift quotes > [The greatest gift you can give to those around you is honesty. Sometimes honest words may sting the heart, but dishonesty pierces deep into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-to-those-around-you-is-honesty/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [BLOOD IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN WATER. NEVER ABANDON YOUR FAMILY, BECAUSE IF ONE DAY THE WORLD TURN ITS BACK ON YOU, THE ONLY THING…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-voice/blood-is-always-better-than-water-never-abandon-your-family-because/) [NO VOICE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/no-voice/) > [“The greatest gift you can bestow upon your children is your time and undivided attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brozina/the-greatest-gift-you-can-bestow-upon-your-children-is-your-time-and/) [Jim Brozina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brozina/) > [My relationship with my parents is among the greatest gifts of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-castellani/my-relationship-with-my-parents-is-among-the-greatest-gifts-of-my-life/) [Christopher Castellani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-castellani/) > [The least grace is a better security for heaven than the greatest gifts or privileges whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/the-least-grace-is-a-better-security-for-heaven-than-the-greatest/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [“I often think that the ability to earn a living by doing the thing one loves must be one of life's greatest gifts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/i-often-think-that-the-ability-to-earn-a-living-by-doing-the-thing/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [So when it comes don't push it away. One day you will find it is the greatest gift and I hope you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-green/so-when-it-comes-don-t-push-it-away-one-day-you-will-find-it-is-the/) [Vivian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-green/) > [I think that's one of the greatest gifts that I have: that I can get someone to open up, and all you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karamo-brown/i-think-that-s-one-of-the-greatest-gifts-that-i-have-that-i-can-get/) [Karamo Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karamo-brown/) > [It's one thing believing in yourself, it's another thing having other people believe in you, and that is the greatest gift, honestly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-magnussen/it-s-one-thing-believing-in-yourself-it-s-another-thing-having-other/) [Billy Magnussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-magnussen/) > [knowledge of our own mortality is the greatest gift God ever gives us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/knowledge-of-our-own-mortality-is-the-greatest-gift-god-ever-gives-us/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [“It is not holiness, but arrogance displayed to take away the greatest gift—free will— bestowed by God from the beginning of time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullia-d-aragona/it-is-not-holiness-but-arrogance-displayed-to-take-away-the-greatest/) [Tullia d'Aragona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullia-d-aragona/) > [“The greatest gift you can open is your heart to someone in need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-greatest-gift-you-can-open-is-your-heart-to-someone-in-need/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [The greatest gift a parent can give a child is unconditional love. As a child wanders and strays, finding his bearings, he needs a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-greatest-gift-a-parent-can-give-a-child-is-unconditional-love-as/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [One of the best things you can do in life is to embrace who you are. Once you do that NOTHING can stop you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-best-things-you-can-do-in-life-is-to-embrace-who-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest gift you can ever give to yourself is 'Loving yourself the way you are'. Its a gift from you to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/collins-hasty/the-greatest-gift-you-can-ever-give-to-yourself-is-loving-yourself/) [Collins Hasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/collins-hasty/) [Browse all 722 Greatest gift quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-gift/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I told them this was their language, this English, this most marvellous and expressive cloak of meaning and imagination. This great, exclamatory, illuminating song, it belonged to anyone who found it in their mouths. There was no wrong way to say it, or write it, the language couldn’t be compelled or herded, it couldn’t be tonsured or pruned, pollarded or plaited, it was as hard as oaths and as subtle as rhyme. It couldn’t be forced or bullied or policed by academics; it wasn’t owned by those with flat accents; nobody had the right to tell them how to use it or what to say. 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