A special kind of categorisation

Before going ahead on this factor, it must be mentioned that there are two different kinds of languages. May be there are other kinds of classification, however for the current purpose, the classification may be on the basis of what one may call the presence of feudal content and absence of feudal content.

Languages like English can be said to be of the second kind; that is, have an absence of feudal content.

Other languages, such as Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and other languages of India, Asia and possibly of Africa and South America are feudal languages. That is, they contain different levels of words for such words as You, He, She, They, We, Your, His, Her, Hers, Theirs, Ours etc. Some languages do even have different levels of words for even verbs.

It is possible that at least some of the languages of Europe may also have this feudal affliction. As to English having words like My Lord, My Lady, Your Majesty, Thee, Thou, Your Honour and such, are not the words that I am talking about when feudal content is mentioned in this context. What is being mentioned and discussed is different.

It may be mentioned here that feudal languages all have the essential component of ‘respect’ and ‘disparagement’ encrypted into them. Here the word ‘respect’ does not have the same meaning that it has in English and similar languages. In feudal languages, the word ‘respect’ has a very active sense, in that it comes with the requirement of placing the ‘respected person’ high on the indicant word scale. It is not a mental feeling of sensing some kind of refinement or superior knowledge or information in a person as one would do in English. For example, in English one may have respect for another person due to his exemplary civility, politeness, good manners, knowledge and learning and such. In feudal languages, ‘respect’ is not what one may feel inside, but what one has to exhibit externally.

For example, even if one is of the confirmed opinion that a specific person is of deficient civility, politeness, good manners and also of meagre knowledge and learning, he still has to be extended very evident poses of ‘respect’ which can extend even to obsequious bowing, if he is a rich man, a teacher, professor, government official etc.

At the same time, if the other man is a non-entity in terms of not being a rich man, a teacher, a professor, a government official etc., but is a man of quiet refinement, honest, courageous, polite, and learned, and compassionate to others, he is by words and usages, disparaged. In other words, feudal languages have a very menacing and evil side, which can really gnaw on the composure of a person of refinement. And at the same time, such languages stand as powerful props for persons of evil superiority.