e language with the largest vocabulary is English, but the question is how 620,000 words English consists of came to being (Young 249). It is thought that the first words were created by caveman and cavewomen who described everyday routine, or other similar event by the means of sound. One of those events could be hitting their heads when they tried to get up from the floor or sleeping place. The extraordinary pain would cause them to remember this situation by creating a particular word or sound for it. So when they were in similar situation again, they would yell out that word or sound. Another example would be imitating the animal sounds and by that giving them the names and identifying them in the future (Laind 21). These may have been the ways of how the word was invented. When more words were invented, "people may have gone on rather rapidly to invent more and more." We can assume that the most necessary words came first--warnings, commands, names of things and actions--and later on abstract words--names for ideas and emotions (23). Power of Language "Language has been called the most powerful drug known to humanity. The words we hear and speak can have a distorting affect on our points of view" ("Words, Thoughts and Deeds" 1). For huge amounts of words this idea is applicable. Political terms are exceptionally tricky. For example, word "democracy," has started the biggest wars of the century. Both World Wars were fought for people to be free. In the World War I, Great Britain, France and U.S. fought against Germany, Turkey and Italy. Democracy against expansionism. In the World War II, again Great Britain and U.S. against Germany, Italy and Japan. In this case it was democracy against Naziism and militarism. Vietnam War was fought "to stop communism from expanding," and to save democracy throughout the world. Words have been used to create different stereotypes about one's ethnicity or religion. Words have divided humans into whi...
