Page:Knight (1975) Past, Future and the Problem of Communication in the Work of V V Khlebnikov.djvu/90

82 In the following year, Khlebnikov would write:


 * ...transrational language is the future language of the universe in embryo. It alone can unite people. Rational languages are already dividing them.

Khlebnikov saw unifying human language as the alternative to violence. Returning to his "primitivist" theme he wrote:


 * There was a time when languages united people. Let us transport ourselves back to the Stone Age. It is night. There are fires. Men are working with black stone hammers.
 * Suddenly footsteps are heard. Everyone rushes to arm himself. They stand threateningly. But what is this? From the dark comes a familiar name, and at once all becomes clear. They are our people coming. "Oursl"—floats the sound from the darkness, spoken in words of the shared language. Language united people then, just as did a familiar voice. The weapons—is a sign of cowardice. If one goes into the matter, then it turns out that the weapon is an additional dictionary for those speaking in a different language—a pocket dictionary.

In 1921, Khlebnikov would pose the question:


 * What is better, a universal language or universal slaughter?