Language of the slaves

And then there’s my other favourite word - vernacular. The reason why I like etymology is because it corrects perspective. The Indian English press loves the word and uses it liberally when referring to the local language press. Local language press, please note, is the right usage. Vernacular comes from the Latin, or Greek (can’t remember) word verna, which means slave. The word, therefore, was used by colonisers, the British in particular, to describe the languages spoken by the people native to the lands they colonised. Vernacular means language of the slaves. Be careful, therefore, when you use it.