Adopted language theory in Herbert's Dune

[Toby Frost]

1984 has an interesting variation on this: the official language, Newspeak, doesn't contain the word "free" in the sense of "able to do as you wish", with the expectation that, if the speakers don't have a word for it, they won't be able to want to be free. However, it's unclear how seriously the Party actually takes this, and whether they'd want citizens to forget the concept of freedom.

George MacDonald Fraser was in the British Empire's 14th Army, fighting alongside a range of African and Indian troops, and his British colleagues used a lot of foreign slang words with each other. I suppose there's a natural cycle to these things: Country A invades Country B; the people of B resist using the conquerors' language but, once the status quo changes, use A's words to rise in the new hierarchy and/or sound sophisticated; then an independence movement arises and rediscovers B's language (or a patois), using it very deliberately to reject the outsiders and strengthen its own identity.

 

[Danny McG]

In Yorgos Lanthimos' Dogtooth (2009), a deranged couple keeps their children secluded from the outside world and teach them wrong names of things

Thank you!
I watched that one night years ago, I've tried a few searches since but could never recall the title.

 

[Dave]

a deranged couple keeps their children secluded from the outside world and teach them wrong names of things

I've tried a few searches since but could never recall the title.

Shame on your parents, but at least you can learn the correct titles of films now!