Bruno Latour

The only shibboleth the West has is science. It is the premise of modernity and it defines itself as a rationality capable of, indeed requiring separation from politics, religion and really, society. Modernisation is to work towards this.

French Scientist

Steven Pinker

Language pedants hew to an oral tradition of shibboleths that have no basis in logic or style, that have been defied by great writers for centuries, and that have been disavowed by every thoughtful usage manual.

Canadian Scientist

Edward Zwick

Doctors are kind of this shibboleth in our society. We know what they do, and we depend on them, but we don't know a lot about what it feels like from their side.

American Director

Leon Max

Everything is always grungy in England, no? It's like a little shibboleth of the upper class, wearing something out of your grandfather's trunk.

Russian Designer

Shibboleth can reveal if someone belongs to a particular group through specific language use.

Group Identification

Understanding a shibboleth may require insider knowledge exclusive to a certain community.

Insider Knowledge

Some shibboleths are subtle and can easily be missed if you're not very familiar with the language or group.

Subtle Nuance

Shibboleths can act as markers, distinguishing beliefs or behaviors typical of a certain culture or group.

Cultural Marker

What constitutes a shibboleth can change over time as cultures and societies evolve.