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When words signal conflict: Measuring exclusionary nationalism in prewar Japan

Why do countries go to war? While economic, military and geopolitical factors are often part of the answer, researchers have also pointed to exclusionary nationalism—the belief that one's own nation is superior to others. One observable trace of such sentiment is language: As exclusionary attitudes intensify, people tend to favor words from their own language over foreign ones and even reject the "enemy's" words outright.