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Universal Language?

#6
There'd still be just as much differentiation in the meanings behind the words..different cultures would develop different interpretations using the same words (you can see that by just looking at the differences in dialect and meaning between someone from Louisianna and someone from Britain). People are probably too unique/stubborn and would find a way to make their culture's version of the language different somehow.

And as we all know, Esperanto didn't quite work out as the universal language.
 
#11
Bryan R. Tyler said:
And as we all know, Esperanto didn't quite work out as the universal language.
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Esperanto's problem is that there are no native speakers of the language, so it's not like it feels very useful.

Now, idea of universal second language is much closer, and I understand English is the most widely spread non-native language, and geographically speaking a widely spread native language too. Of course other former colonial languages - especially in the Third World countries - like French, Spanish and German come behind it, too.
 
#13
Tsal said:
Esperanto's problem is that there are no native speakers of the language, so it's not like it feels very useful.

Now, idea of universal second language is much closer, and I understand English is the most widely spread non-native language, and geographically speaking a widely spread native language too. Of course other former colonial languages - especially in the Third World countries - like French, Spanish and German come behind it, too.
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what colonies did germany have exactly?
 
#14
Tsal said:
Esperanto's problem is that there are no native speakers of the language, so it's not like it feels very useful.

Now, idea of universal second language is much closer, and I understand English is the most widely spread non-native language, and geographically speaking a widely spread native language too. Of course other former colonial languages - especially in the Third World countries - like French, Spanish and German come behind it, too.
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Spanish has got to be #2. Sometimes it feels like it's overtaking English in the US.:p

Atef said:
what colonies did germany have exactly?
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Parts of the modern-day USA were settled by Germans, as one example.
 
#15
English is well on its way towards becoming a universal language. We have 600,000+ words and growing, many of the new words we assimilate are directly related to other languages...etc.

It's kinda funny, because, yes, more homogeneity would make things quite a bit more efficient and/or streamlined. But, there is something to be said about the preservation of culture, language, heritage, tradition, beliefs...etc. Language is a very integral part to the development of many peoples, if stripped of individual languages, many of other establishments lose influence and culture dies.

So it's a double edged sword. In many ways, doing away with languages and culture and striving for unification would conceivably create a more harmonious world. But it would also create a lame world too. I think. heh
 
#17
Davidoc said:
Spanish has got to be #2. Sometimes it feels like it's overtaking English in the US.:p
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Spanish is bigger than English

1. Mandarin, 885 million have it as their first language
2. Spanish, 332 million
3. English, 322 million
4. Bengali, 189 million
5. Hindi, 182 million
6. Russian, 170 million
7. Portugese, 170 million
8. Japanese, 125 million
9. German, 98 million
10. Wu (chinese dialect) 70 million
 
#18
I have nothing worthwile to contribute to this thread except that there is a one-act play by David Ives called "The Universal Language." I directed it several years ago.

The principle is that the language, Unamunda, is made up of words that almost sound like the English words they are replacing:

"Melgibson da rest enda morgan" - I'll give you the rest in the morning

"No desperanto!" - Do not despair

"Alaska, Iago parladoop Johncleese" - Unfortunately (alas), I don't speak English.

"Iago trattoria Shakespeare enda Unamunda... 'Mock visp, vot loomen trip yondra fenstra sheint? Arf den oyster, epp Juliet arf song!" - I'm translating Shakespeare into Unamunda: 'But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
 
#19
Blackbird said:
Chomsky's Lobby material.

How's that for Manufactured consent?:smug:
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I'm talking about his linguistics.

The idea is that all natural languages are in fact variations on the same basic rules, which seems to be right, because the same grammatical principles come back in all languages.

More OT; a language is a part of culture and identity, and I wouldn't swap it for a universal language for all the money in the word.
 
#20
Vorago said:
I'm talking about his linguistics.

The idea is that all natural languages are in fact variations on the same basic rules, which seems to be right, because the same grammatical principles come back in all languages.

More OT; a language is a part of culture and identity, and I wouldn't swap it for a universal language for all the money in the word.
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My mistake.

I agree, one language can allow for more depth of feeling in certain areas than another.
 

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