A NEW LANGUAGE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 112, 17 November 1928, Page 21

A NEW LANGUAGE

"An International Language." By Otto Jespersen. London: George Allen and Unwin, Ltd. Many of tho best things we now possess began by being dreams. Many have dreamed of, and even formulated, an international language, for it is thought, and perhaps rightly, that if all men spoke the same language a much 'closer understanding would arise between the nations which would lessen the chances of war. But the conservative Britisher sa3-s that English is good enough as an international language, seeing that it is spoken the world over and by more people than any language save perhaps Chinese. But it does not seem probable that any existing language will ever become universal, hence philologists ever now again produce their solution of the difficulty, presenting to the world an artificial language for all to learn. Especially so has this been the case in recent years, since the League of Nations is willing to lend a kindly oar to the scheme of an international language. It is not expected, however, that each nation should forget its mother tongue; what is aimed at is an auxiliary language for use, so to speak, in emergencies, a language easily, learnt and understand, able by all. We have had "Volapuk," "Esperanto," "Ho," and other attempts at international auxiliary languages, and each has had and has its supporters. To 'these Dr. Jespersen, a Danish professor, now adds "Novial," "Nov" meaning "new," and I.A.L. standing for "International Auxiliary Langaugc." He has aimed at inventing forms as rational and as less arbitrary as possible, believing that this will lead to stability. Latin, with phonetic spelling, largely forms tho basis of "Novial," tho full grammar of which is given in Dr. Jespcrsen's book. If readers wish to try their hand at understanding "Novial,'" here is a specimen dealing with objections to international languages:—"Un objotione kel bli ofte fa kontor konstuktet Ungues es ke les povc nulitem es tan boni kani li natur-lingues. . Es ver ke novial nou cs tarn richi kam anglum, no tarn eleganti kam fransum, nou tarn vigorosi kam germaniim, nov tarn belt kam italianum, nov tarn nuansosi; kam rusum, nou tarn heuiali kam nusen patriali lingue. Ma merkk bonim, ko omni ti boni qualesos, kel on prisa c lauda in li nationali Ungues, bli nur travo kand ihdijenes park o skripte les.''—H.W.M. ' .