Certain languages came to acquire a special status introduced by religious leaders, scholars or conquerors, and sometimes they became the basis of power and privilege. A language spoken by a small minority, such as Latin in medieval Europe, could become the medium of scholarship, of record-keeping and of religious ceremony. A language introduced by conquerors, who became a ruling and landed elite, would be used in commerce, administration and law.

During the era of imperialism the languages of colonial powers became the languages of administration, codified laws, higher education, science and technology in their own colonies. This held back the development of older languages excluded from these spheres. To a varying extent, languages such as English and French still hold this position in some of the now independent nations of Asia and Africa.

This can create problems within these states as well as between neighbouring countries, notably in West Africa and the Caribbean, which have emerged from subjection to different alien powers. Words are symbols of human experience, and the perceptions underlying them have undergone change over time and in response to new situations. Moreover, all languages are in a state of change, sometimes rapid.

They respond to new needs arising from developments in thought and knowledge, in productive techniques, in social relationships and in political and economic structures. Words therefore change their meanings and acquire fresh applications; specialized technical terms pass into general usage, and new words are invented. The process reminds us that language is not a corpus of learning but an instrument adapted to human purposes.