WORLD LANGUAGE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 268, 26 August 1930, Page 2

WORLD LANGUAGE.

AN ADVOCATE OF ENGLISH. Support is given to recent advocacy of English as the coming world language by a proposal which comes from an eminent professor of English in Sweden (writes ISir Robert Donald in “John o’ London’s Weekly.”) Granted the premise that a secondary world language must be one which has traditions, a literature, which is alive and expanding, English stands unrivalled and cuts out Esperanto and all other artificial creations. It is already the language spoken by the greatest number of people in the world; it is recognised as the language of the sea, and of commerce; it is on equality with French as the language of diplomacy. In the smaller countries of the Continent, where knowledge of a secondary language in schools and colleges is obligatory, English is chosen invariably. It is because of the supreme claims of English that Professor R. E. Zachrisson, of Upsala University, has produced a scheme to ease the adoption of English as a world language. Professor Zaclirisson has made a historical and scientific study of English. He is the author of works on “Pronunciation of English Vowels, 1400-1700,” “The English Pronunciation at Shakespeare’s Time,” “Northern English or London English as the Standard Pronunciation,” etc. The professor is, of course, a Swede, and it is interesting to note that English was not the mother tongue of some of the! leading authorities on the language. One of the best known in the United States is Dr. Otto Jespersen, who is Danish. He is regarded to-day as a scholarly exponent of English, whose text books are; used in American colleges. Another brilliant man of foreign origin who lias a wonderful command of the language, and is the author of books on; it, is the delectable Mr H. L. Mencken. Professor Zaclirisson attempts in his system to remove one of the chief obstacles to foreigners acquiring the language: that is the many confusing anomalies of spelling—a real bugbear which terrifies foreign; students accustomed to more orderly and phonetic reformers are not so active and aggressive in England as they were a generation ago. There was quite a - school of them. The late Professor Skeat headed one system, and other distinguished philologists, such as the late Dr. Henry Dr. Furndval, Dr. Sweet, Professor Sayce, and Professor Gil tier t Alurray, have been advocates for the reform of the language in one shape or other. Hie late Poet Laureate (Dr. Robert Bridges) was an ardent reformer, and in his poem, “The Testament of Beauty,” introduced a few examples of his new spelling. It has been left, however, to a Swedish professor to produce a system of English easy spelling on scientific lines, adapted not so much for those whose mother tongue is English as for foreigners who find difficulty in acquiring the language. Professor Zacnrissoiii attacks the spelling bugbeai by introducing a system which he calls “Easy Spelling,” with as little disturbance of existing forms as possible. “Eiasv Spelling” is based on old English orthography in an age when the language was more phonetic than it is to-day. The author points out, foi instance, that Queen Elizabeth U. se ,, such spelling as “stauke” for 1 stalk, and “dark” and “hart’’ for “clerk and “heart.” In the folio edition of Shakespeare’s work we note hee, mee, shee, ietc., for he, me, she, tuch for touch, vane, hare, sale for vain, hair, and sail, and in contemporary letteis and manuscripts we often hit upon such spellings as gro, bio, for grow and blow.