International Language Past, Present & Future
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE WITH SPECIMENS OF ESPERANTO AND GRAMMAR BY W. J. CLARK M.A. OXON., PH.D. LEIPZIG LICENCIÉÈSLETTRES, BACHELIERENDROIT PARIS LONDON J. M. DENT & COMPANY 1907 PRINTED BY HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD., LONDON AND AYLESBURY. iii PREFACE An artificial language may be more regular, more perfect, and easier to learn than a natural one.—Max Müller. The world is spinning fast down the grooves of change. The old disorder changeth. Haply it is yielding place to new. The tongue is a little member. It should no longer be allowed to divide the nations. Two things stand out in the swift change. Science with all its works is spreading to all lands. The East, led by Japan, is coming into line with the West. Standardization of life may fittingly be accompanied by standardization of language. The effect may be twofold—Practical and Ideal. Practical. The World has a thousand tongues, Science but one: They'll climb up a thousand rungs When Babel's done. Ideal. Mankind has a thousand tongues, Friendship but one: Banzai! then from heart and lungs For the Rising Sun. W.J.C. Note.—The following pages have had the advantage of being read in MS. by Mr. H. Bolingbroke Mudie, and I am indebted to him for many corrections and suggestions. iv AN INTERNATIONAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE Note.—To avoid repeating the cumbrous phrase "international auxiliary language," the word auxiliary is usually omitted. It must be clearly understood that when "international" or "universal" language is spoken of, auxiliary is also implied. PART I GENERAL CHAP. PAGE I. Introductory 1 II. The Question of Principle—Economic Advantage of an 4 International Language III. The Question of Practice—An International Language is 8 Possible IV. The Question of Practice (continued)—An International 16 Language is Easy V. The Question of Practice (continued)—The Introduction of 24 an International Language would not cause Dislocation VI. International Action already taken for the Introduction of an 26 Auxiliary Language VII. Can the International Language be Latin? 33 VIII. Can the International Language be Greek? 35 IX. Can the International Language be a Modern Language? 36 X. Can the Evolution of an International Language be left to 38 the Process of Natural Selection by Free Competition? XI. v Objections to an International Language on Aesthetic 40 Grounds XII. Will an International Language discourage the Study of 46 Modern Languages, and thus be Detrimental to Culture?— Parallel with the Question of Compulsory Greek XIII. Objection to an International Language on the Ground that 49 it will soon split up into Dialects XIV. Objection that the Present International Language 51 (Esperanto) is too Dogmatic, and refuses to profit by Criticism XV. Summary of Objections to an International Language 53 XVI. The Wider Cosmopolitanism—The Coming of Asia 57 XVII. Importance of an International Language for the Blind 61 XVIII. Ideal v. Practical 63 XIX. Literary v. Commercial 65 XX. Is an International Language a Crank's Hobby? 70 XXI. What an International Language is not 73 XXII. What an International Language is 73 PART II HISTORICAL I. Some Existing International Languages already in Partial 74 Use II. Outline of History of the Idea of a Universal Language— 76 List of Schemes proposed III. The Earliest British Attempt 87 IV. History of Volapük—a Warning 92 V. History of Idiom Neutral 98 VI. vi The Newest Languages: a NeoLatin Group—Gropings 103 towards a "PanEuropean" Amalgamated Scheme VII. History of Esperanto 105 VIII. Present State of Esperanto: (a) General; (b) in England 121 IX. Lessons to be drawn from the Foregoing History 131 PART III THE CLAIMS OF ESPERANTO TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY: CONSIDERATIONS BASED ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE LANGUAGE ITSELF I. Esperanto is scientifically constructed, and fulfils the 135 Natural Tendency in Evolution of Language II. Esperanto from an Educational Point of View—It will aid 145 the learning of other Languages and stimulate Intelligence III. Comparative Tables illustrating Labour saved in learning 155 Esperanto as contrasted with other Languages: (a) Word building; (b) Participles and Auxiliaries IV. How Esperanto can be used as a Code Language to 161 communicate with Persons who have never learnt it PART IV SPECIMENS OF ESPERANTO, WITH GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY Note 165 I. Pronunciation 166 II. Specimens of Esperanto: 1. Parolado 167 2. La Marbordistoj 168 3. Nesaĝa Gento: Alegorio 168 III. vii Grammar 189 IV. List of Affixes 191 V. Table of Correlative Words 193 VI. Vocabulary 194 APPENDIX A Sample Problems (see Part III., chap. ii.) in Regular Language 200 APPENDIX B Esperanto Hymn by Dr. Zamenhof 202 APPENDIX C The Letter c in Esperanto 204 1 PART I GENERAL I introductory In dealing with the problem of the introduction of an international language, we are met on the threshold by two main questions: 1. The question of principle. 2. The question of practice. By the question of principle is meant, Is it desirable to have a universal language? do we wish for one? in short, is there a demand? The question of practice includes the inquiries, Is such a language possible? is it easy? would its introduction be fraught with prohibitive difficulties? and the like. It is clear that, however possible or easy it may be to do a thing, there is no case for doing it unless it is wanted; therefore the question of principle must be taken first. In the case before us the question of principle involves many considerations—aesthetic, political, social, even religious. These will be glanced at in their proper place; but for our present purpose they are all subordinate to the one great paramount consideration—the economic one. In the world of affairs experience shows that, given a demand of any kind whatever, as between an economical method of supplying that demand and a noneconomical method, in the long run the economical method will surely prevail. 2 If, then, it can be shown that there is a growing need for means of international communication, and that a unilingual solution is more economical than a multilingual one, there is good ground for thinking that the unilingual method of transacting international affairs will surely prevail. It then becomes a question of time and method: When will men feel the pressure of the demand sufficiently strongly to set about supplying it? and what means will they adopt? The time and the method are by no means indifferent. Though a demand (for what is possible) is sure, in the long run, to get itself supplied, a long period of wasteful and needless groping may be avoided by a clearsighted and timely realization of the demand, and by consequent organized cooperation in supplying it. Intelligent anticipation sometimes helps events to occur. It is the object of this book to call attention to the present state of affairs, and to emphasize the fact that the time is now ripe for dealing with the question, and the present moment propitious for solving the problem once for all in an orderly way. The merest glance at the list of projects for a universal language and their dates will strengthen the conviction from an historical point of view that the fulness of time is accomplished, while the history of the rise and fall of Volapük and of the extraordinary rise of Esperanto, in spite of its precursor's failure, are exceedingly significant. One language has been born, come to maturity, and died of dissension, and the world stood by indifferent. Another is now in the first full flush of youth and strength. After twentynine years of daily developing cosmopolitanism—years that have witnessed the rising of a new star in the East and an uninterrupted growth of interchange of ideas between the nations of the earth, whether in politics, literature, or science, without a single check to the everrising tide of internationalism— are we again to let the favourable moment pass unused, just for want of making up our minds? At present one language holds the field. It is well 3 organized; it has abundant enthusiastic partisans accustomed to communicate and transact their common business in it, and only too anxious to show the way to others. If it be not officially adopted and put under the regulation of a duly constituted international authority, it may wither away or split into factions as Volapük did. 1 Or it may continue to grow and flourish, but others of its numerous rivals may secure adherents and dispute its claim. This would be even worse. It is far harder to rally a multitude of conflicting rivals in the same camp, than it is to take over a wellorganized, homogeneous, and efficient volunteer force, legalize its position, and raise it to the status of a regular army. In any case, if no concerted action be taken, the question will remain in a state of chaos, and the lack of official organization brings a great risk of overlapping, dissension, and creation of rival interests, and generally produces a state of affairs calculated to postpone indefinitely the supply of the demand. Competition that neither tends to keep down the price nor to improve the quality of the thing produced is mere dissipation of energy. 1E speranto itself is admirably organized (see Part II., chap. vii.), and there are no factions or symptoms of dissension. But Esperantists need official support and recognition. In a word, the one thing needful at present is not a more highly perfected language to adopt, but the adoption of the highly perfected one we possess.