"Language speaks" (in the original

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

''Die Sprache spricht'') is a saying by

Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; ; 26 September 188926 May 1976) was a German philosopher who is best known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. He is among the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th ce ...

. Heidegger first formulated it in his 1950 lecture "Language" (''Die Sprache''),Lyon (2006) pp.128-9 and frequently repeated it in later works.Philipse (1998) p.205

Adorno Theodor W. Adorno ( , ; born Theodor Ludwig Wiesengrund; 11 September 1903 – 6 August 1969) was a German philosopher, sociologist, psychologist, musicologist, and composer. He was a leading member of the Frankfurt School of critica ...

expressed a related idea when he said that language "acquires a voice" and "speaks itself."

The "Language" lecture

The saying was first formulated by Heidegger in the lecture "Language" ("Die Sprache") in memory of

Max Kommerell Max Kommerell (25 February 1902 – 25 July 1944) was a German literary historian, writer, and poet. A member of the Stefan George circle from 1921 to 1930, Kommerell was a prominent literary critic associated with the Conservative Revolutiona ...

, first delivered on October 7, 1950 at the Bühlerhöhe building. The lecture was translated in English by

Albert Hofstadter Albert Hofstadter (March 28, 1910 – January 26, 1989) was an American philosopher. Life and career Hofstadter taught at Columbia University (1950–67), the University of California at Santa Cruz (1968–75) and the New School for Social ...

in the 1971 Heidegger collection ''Poetry, Language, Thought''."Language", in Heidegger (1971) pp.187-ff Quoting

Johann Georg Hamann Johann Georg Hamann (; ; 27 August 1730 – 21 June 1788) was a German Lutheran philosopher from Königsberg known as "the Wizard of the North" who was one of the leader figures of post-Kantian philosophy. His work was used by his student J. G. ...

's 1784 letter to Johann Gottfried Herder, Heidegger talks of language as an "

abyss Abyss may refer to: * Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld Film and television * ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film starring Asta Nielsen * ''The Abyss'' (1988 film) (''L'Œuvre au noir''), a French- ...

Notes

References

*Heidegger (1950) "Die Sprache", first published in Heidegger (1959
''Unterwegs zur Sprache''
*Heidegger (1971) ''Poetry, Language, Thought'', translation and introduction by

*Lyon, James K
''Paul Celan and Martin Heidegger: an unresolved conversation, 1951-1970''
*Philipse, Herman (1998) ''Heidegger's philosophy of being: a critical interpretation'' {{Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger Philosophical phrases German words and phrases 1950s neologisms Quotations from literature Quotations from philosophy

The "Language" lecture

See also

Notes

References