21 February marks the International Mother Language Day, an anniversary first approved by UNESCO in 1999 and carried on over the years since then to remember and honour the languages that have accompanied us since childhood and allowed us to face the world for the first time and communicate our thoughts and feelings with others.
The importance of preserving all languages, even the lesser spoken ones, and promoting linguistic diversity is fundamental in order to preserve traditions, identity, memory and cultures that are passed down from word to word through unique expressions that are often lost with the passage of time and the imposition of language standards.
In the work of us translators and interpreters, knowing and speaking different languages outside of our mother tongue becomes a valuable skill that enriches and opens our minds, but also reminds us to always give words their due weight in order to keep alive all the wonderful nuances of meaning that each language carries.
