Words shape the world we live in. They tell us who we are, what matters, and how we relate to one another. But what happens when the words we use carry the weight of colonial history? When our ways of thinking, speaking, and even dreaming have been filtered through a lens that isn’t our own?
This article explores decoloniality, the ongoing process of unlearning colonial patterns of thought, and what it means to decolonise our language. We’ll look at how everyday words preserve systems of power, how language can both oppress and liberate, why reclaiming linguistic identities is an act of resistance and what Europe is doing about it. Because one of the most powerful ways to practice decoloniality… is through language.
Language Is Never Neutral
During colonial rule, European languages were imposed as superior, while Indigenous languages were silenced, restricted, or outright banned. Words became tools of domination — shaping the identities of colonised peoples and defining how they were perceived.
When we question the language we’ve inherited, we begin to question the power behind it.
And when we shift language, we shift power.
Political Correctness – Let’s take a look back.
In terms of language, politically correct individuals oppose vocabulary that reflects prejudices on the grounds of race, gender or sexual orientation. The term ‘political correctness’ was initially used in the United States in 1970. It was used ironically by left wing activists and intellectuals to mock their own attitudes. During the 1980s, left-wing radicals became increasingly concerned with the rights of minority groups and conducted campaigns against discrimination on such grounds as race, age, gender and sexual orientation. Right-wing opponents grouped under the disparaging label ‘political correctness’ , and the term became associated with extreme over-zealous attitudes. For example, ‘Eskimo’ is considered offensive because it is possibly derived from the Indian word meaning ‘eaters of raw flesh’. Alternatively, the correct word is ‘Inuit’.
Opponents of political correctness argue that seeking to control the language we use becomes dangerously close to trying to control the way we think. They regard those who campaign against politically incorrect language as dictatorial and intolerant. Others argue that focusing on language is a distraction from real struggle, which can be directed towards more practical goals, such as tougher laws against discrimination and increased investment to help the disadvantaged.
On the other hand, supporters of political correctness argue that the language that we learn influences the way we perceive the world. If the vocabulary we aquire as children encourages us to think of a certain minority as inferior, we are more likely to view them this way. It follows that changing the language that people use should change their perceptions : using more positive vocabulary to describe minorities will mean that people will start viewing them more positively. (Source: English Language AS & A2 Revision Book)
How Colonial Language Operates Today
Many everyday terms still reflect Eurocentric worldviews, perspectives that place Europe at the centre and define everything else in relation to it.
“Middle East”
Have you ever wondered what this term actually means?
It measures a region by its distance from Europe, implying that Europe is the reference point for geography and identity. This framing erases the region’s own histories, names, and cultural centres — the Arab world, the Levant, West Asia.
“Far East”
This phrase paints Asia as distant and “other,” as if civilisation begins in Europe and everything beyond is further and less important. The language reinforces a hierarchy rooted in colonial maps and mindsets.
“Third World”
This ranking system suggests that “First” is powerful, modern, and advanced, while “Third” is underdeveloped. It erases the role of colonial extraction in creating global inequalities, turning victims of exploitation into supposed problems to be solved — rather than communities healing from centuries of resource theft.
Case Study: Ghana and the Shadow of Colonialism
Ghana, known during colonial rule as the Gold Coast, remained under British rule until 1957. The British built an economy designed entirely for European profit — exporting gold, cocoa, and timber. Infrastructure existed not to connect Ghanians with each other, but to transport resources from mines to ports.
At independence, Ghana inherited an economic model created for extraction, not development.
When global cocoa prices crashed, the economy collapsed — not because Ghana lacked potential, but because its foundations had been engineered for someone else’s benefit.
Decades later, colonial legacies still shaped the country’s institutions, markets, and vulnerabilities. Ghana’s story reveals a crucial truth: the challenges faced by formerly colonised nations are not failures, but consequences of structures imposed upon them.
Words That Still Reinforce Colonial Thinking
Colonial patterns persist not just in history, but in vocabulary — words that subtly position Western culture as the norm and everything else as deviation.
“Ethnic”
Western dishes like pasta or bread are never labelled “ethnic,” but biryani is.
Western fashion is simply “fashion,” but a kimono becomes “ethnic clothing.”
The word positions Western culture as the default, reducing all others to the margins — to something exotic, other, less universal.
“Tribe”
This term was used by colonisers to portray African, Indigenous, and many Asian societies as primitive or chaotic , justifying colonisation as a “civilising mission.”
But these societies had complex governance systems, trade networks, and political structures. Using “tribe” today still echoes that colonial stereotype of primitiveness and backwardness.
