Burgess: A Mouthful of Air

Summary: A Mouthful of Air by Burgess (William Morrow & Co (1992)). (Stub — expand from highlights.)

Sources: quotes_batch_2.md

Quote pages: Burgess — A Mouthful of Air

Last updated: 2026-05-07

Quotes

Language and Consciousness

“Language is not a mere medium for the expression of thought; it is the very fabric of thought itself.” (Chapter 1, p. 14)

Identity and Phonetics

“We are what we speak, and how we speak it. The phoneme is a badge of identity, a tribal signal that we emit with every breath.” (Chapter 3, p. 42)

Society and Linguistic Change

“Society is a linguistic construct. When the language shifts, the social reality it describes must inevitably follow.” (Chapter 5, p. 81)