UK charity hopes to 'decolonise' English vocabulary
The English language has been evolving for centuries, if not for millennia. Conversations from the Middle Ages would be almost unrecognisable today. In particular, the use and meaning of vocabulary is in constant flux. The British charity Oxfam has issued a guide that further pushes for changes in how the language is used, especially by charity workers. Oxfam wants to "decolonise" English, which it considers to be, "the language of a colonising nation". It said English needs to change "in order to decolonise our ways of working and shift power". Oxfam has issued a 92-page "Inclusive Language Guide" to advise employees on the use of language "to support everyone to feel empowered to be inclusive in their work". |