Who said “The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the…”?

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Derek Walcott. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Sourcefor The Paris Review (1986)

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“The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.”
— Derek Walcott
Verifiedfor The Paris Review (1986) · evidenceLanguage
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: for The Paris Review (1986).

APA

Walcott, D. (n.d.). The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/25370-the-english-language-is-nobodys-special-property-it/

MLA

Walcott, Derek. “The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/25370-the-english-language-is-nobodys-special-property-it/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Walcott, Derek. “The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/25370-the-english-language-is-nobodys-special-property-it/.

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“We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.”
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VerifiedThe Canterville Ghost (1887). For history and analysis of the quote see "Common Language", oscarwildeinamerica.org (retrieved 9 May 2026) · evidenceDetails & citeLanguage
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“Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.”
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