European Languages And European Identity

"Europe" first appeared as a geographical conception; contrarily, it does not have a clear geographical border. The geographical differentiation is favorable for the birth and development of various nations, languages and cultures. On the other hand, it is also an important cause of the European cleavages. In their around 4000-year-long history, Europeans have flown, migrated, expanded, immigrated and warred. These factors have resulted in the mixture of nations and ideas; at the same time, they have turned Europe into a permanent ethnic and cultural melting pot.There are about 43 kinds of language in Europe. The linguistic diversity strengthens national and ethnic differences. It simultaneously produces the Us/ Other dichotomy, which resulted in contradictions and conflicts. Language is a part of culture. German philosopher and linguist Humboldt holds that the language is the spirit of a nation; it brings the people in the language community a sense of belonging and molds their minds; it's a sign of identity.The "European identity", as a political notion, often wanders among divisive European political mechanisms. Its appearance was closely related to the self-awareness of the ancient Greeks. It was established on exclusivity against other cultures. The Greeks called those who could not speak Greek "barbarians". This is the earliest form of national identity. In the time of Rome, European identity was replaced by "universalism". The identity of Roman citizens went beyond the national and ethnic restrictions. Latin became the common language of the Roman Empire.