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In the twentieth century, during the two World Wars, two intellectual, literary and artistic movements emerged, with one common characteristic: both raised the question of worn-out language as largely responsible for war. The Dadaist movement appeared during the first World War, and the Lettrists during the second. Both called the entire linguistic apparatus into question and advocated a return to the fundamentals, i.e. phonemes, experimenting with other terms and means of expression in which graphics and sounds had an essential role. A great many artists and writers joined these movements and exerted considerable influence—largely forgotten today—on literature, painting and song.