INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9858, 15 October 1897, Page 7

INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE.

BY WILHELMINA SllßKßirr-BAIN.

ITIu- follow in!; cm.iv wi** read to a committee ol the nuiiVhureh L'oiifcrcii.'e to Consider the subject of an |'.i!»rn.ilionil Language. Thi* Cnnlm-iice «a» railr.l in riTponsp to a from t.. £,Am«ihofif of lfro.li>> lln-A». tbit svmi>:i'l)'s«rs t.nor?hoilt (he „!,v',l«iir.'.iMi-iic>r.iiut"\vitii him v«l»-n ««« sn-ijcct ol'e«l*l"li*l>!'"; -»i\ iriiernntinnM Language. The essays and rnn'^po»"'» , « rfs " t,n " *'''} "1 » ,r, , 81e , 1 '?, '"' s. mei.h-rf in » h<)..>k a...! wMt-ly i:,mU«,<\. In thtvc tin•musliiK-cs tho blowing .'Oiii ih.iNPli to vl«i i« nr.-l'iallv a ronurctw by wvitinp. will be read wi'.li ' J'FlW* AM> ItW'KRKK.} tinman nature exhibits a matvello'.iß .iiuilarilv i» «very part of the world ; us .lenient* mny tern! to gi cater or less cuini.lcxitv. and there ma.v be very dilterent it-ados of * hat is called t but tne same instincts and tho same possibilities are latent within u-i all, arid each one of us oii-ht to be able to contribute to the happiness of all tho rest. Yet the race is incalculably retarded" in it* progress. Mciibers of one family, we express ourselves so diversely lint the bare fact of brotherhood is only beginning to dawn upon the consciousness of mankind. The great seers of every ace have announced this primal relatiVn-hip, but their audiences have been rent noted to their own country, with perhaps a select few of other lands. Strange as it will hereafter seem, mutual ini-niid.irKlandiiigs may render it practically impossible to cross n river, nrA the most wonderful genius of a century may be quite unknown to the masse on the other side of a mountain range. Jealousy, envy, and hatred alienate the nations from each other, and the sole business of millions of men is the slaughter of men ! It is true that the game mode or speech does not ensure amity between man and man, or between groups of men. The struggle for existence is so deadly that, very oitc-n, the persons best able to understand each other are enemies seeking mutual overthrow. Still, this hateful rivalry does not often evince itself in actual bloodshed within a nation, or between two nations speaking the tame tongue. We New Zealanders cannot conceive the possibility of war between South Africa and Australasia, we cannot imagine that the United States of America and Canada would draw the sword against each other, or that either would assail the little island kingdom which in learning to be an {justly proud of all her progeny. The competitive system itself is to some extent a result of tliu confusion of tongues. If mankind had but one common language, a natural system of exchange would surely develop itself. The earth is as varied as it is wide, aud each portion needs what some other can supply. Mutual help leads to tolerance; were the mutuality of help universal so would the tolerance be. The adoption of one medium of communication by the nations of tho world will signalise the gradual relinquishment of war as a means of settling the disputes of ruling powers ; and thus, the competitive system, lopped of its greatest development, may be expected to lose one criminal excess after another, until it shall transfigure itself into that beautiful rivalry in service which will yet impart to mm the true joy of life. Whenever this glorious prospect is beheld, the duty of speeding its realisation becomes imperative. Therefore, humanitarians in every part of the world must welcome the arrangements of Mr Samenhoff for submitting the consideration of an International Language to a Congress whioh shall represent tiie best thought of our generation. Granting that an international language is desirable and is feasible, a tremendous difficulty exists regarding its choice. Scieuce has already utilised Latin and Greek so largely that these languages are certain to have many advocates. Scientific nomenclature lias accustomed all learned persons to community of expression for centuries past, and so far has admirably served the function of heralding a universal tongue. But this nomenclature has over remained unknown to the masses. Even in mediaeval times, when Latin was almost the solo passport of travel, the people everywhere used their own language alone. The imposing machinery of religion, which has familiarised many millions of worshippers with classic utterances, has failed to incorporate theso utterances in ordinary parlance. Latin and Greek are vast and beautiful forests of petrifaction. They are dead languages, which cannot be revitalised. • "Some sqjiolarly predilections may turn to' Sansorit, some to Hebrew. But—wonderful as these languages are in themselves, and in their ethnological, ethical and literary interests—-they, toe, have lost the power of growth, and are consequently uusuited for universal purposes.

Some thinkers believe that for international use a new language will require to be created. Attempts in this direction have already been made—by Mr Samenhoff and others—but neither volapuk, esperanto, nor any other artificial construction will meet the exigencies of mankind ; they may for a time satisfy a commercial code, but they cannot possibly become a universal speech. It appears, then, that one of our living languages is the most eligible for inter? nationalservice ; and, with the choice thus restricted the question is: What shall be considered the paramount recommendation ? Numerical usage would easily place Chinese in the first position ; that language is, however, a type of arrested development, and as such must be dismissed from the field. French is probably tiie most symmetrical of languages 5 it is both refined "and foroible, it has been the vehicle of diplomacy for generations past, and it possesses a magnificent literature. Rut, nlthougb courtiers readily avail themselves of it, peoples do not. Norman-French was brought to England with all the prestige of conquest, and the dominating race tried for 300 years to make it the language of the land ; but, in its turn, the stubborn genius of the soil conquered them, and they beo'ame Englishmen to whom French was foreign tongue. In recent times, French has been carried to various parts of the world, but it has never extended beyond a limited area, and it ia 1 ready to recede before a mightier influence. At the beginning of this century the French language had the promise of preeminence, 31,000,000 using it against j 81,000,000 who used English, the language second in regard to numbers. Hut in 1890 the statistics were: French, 51,000,000; English, 110,000,000; while in 1896 they were: English, 124,000,000, This marvellous rate of progress evidences, among other things, the supreme virility of the English tongue.

English is the most composite language Which has ever existed. It blends Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Sanscrit, Arabio, Celtic, •won, Danish, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Hindustani, Malay, Chinese, Polynesian, Ac, with cosmopolitan force. It contains almost every sound of every known language, therefore it •wily assimilates what, suits it wherever it SW*, It has impressed itself on the North . nwican Continent. English ia now taught •n the schools of Mexico, various sections of South America, South Africa, India, Australasia, the Islands of the Pacific, and many other localities, so that there appears to he no exaggeration when travellers assert that English serves their needs in every t-rt of the world.

, In its directness, simplicity and strength ; »n its flexibility and music ;*in its sonorousness and dignity; in its delicacy, complexity and profundity, in its incorporative and Wcretive powers, English is fast making jtself a universal language, and is entitled w become the speech of humankind. The acquirement of the written language }*> however, rendered forbiddingly difficult oy the peculiarities ot its orthography. The «nghsh alphabet contains only twenty-six 'wters, characterised by the following <«fects:~(i) The same sounds are reprewf tk y more thttn one lettcr i as c » *» ql«) lhe same letter represents more than we sound, as c, which is sometimes k and •wnetimes a. (3) Single letters are sorae"mea used to representarticnlate compounds, J?. & J> which are used to represent dab. WI lhe alphabet contains no symbols for six rfnT na ! lt eleraen ts, namely wh, th (is), th j"yh «h, zh, ng. (5) Each vowel letter many sounds; seven additional •y™bols are needed to denote the vowel _« I- 8 ,°_ tbe knguago, and their lack is »«PPiied by about sixty combinations of two * three letters.

The anomalies resultant from such conto«? Pr esent almost insuperable obstacles *• we Knglish people themselves. The verage English child spends seven years in ruling to rend his mother-tongue, and s*l_.i. oes nlas ter its spelling. A rational would within a few weeks him a fluent reader—abltvto pronounce J°y Word he sees—and to spell any word in »^ c an ' s h language was phoneticised "»« middle of last oentury, m»«C n»w

recently, the" Italian, Dhtcli, and other languages have also been successf ally phoneticised. Pitman phonography has paved the way for a similar reform of the English language ; but, in thia case, a very much greater change 13 needed. The Roman alphabet—so obviously unfit to represent all the possibilities of human articulation— must be discarded for a symbolism able to perform that service. The basis of snch on arrangement was published thirty years ago by .Mr Melville Hell. That gifted Englishman styled his invention " Visible Speech," and when it shall havo been perfected, the title will he justified. Already the method lias rendered inestimable service in the instruction of the deaf and dumb, and in scientific philology. It may bo expected that, ere long, it will be submitted to a tribunal of philologists, competent to elaborate it in all its wonderful adaptability to English and therefore to universal language.

Even before the English language record, itself in visible speech, it will have remodelled its notation on the French systems This reform has been tinder consideration for many years past, and must soon be ren lined.

English literature is unaurpasaably rich and copious, while its possibilities are incomparably great. The unprecedented diffusion of the English-speaking race has even now produced marvellous interactions and reactions of mentality, and we are but in the first stages of this majestic evolution.

To conclude. The English language is spoken by one-twelfth of the world's inhabitants, and is spreading with electric speed and force. Nature has destined it for the use of humankind ; in recognition of her irrefutable decree it must be considered the one language eligible to become the inter national language