THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, APRIL 24,1897.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10425, 24 April 1897, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, APRIL 24,1897.

There has been muoh speculation lately as to the destiny of the English-speak-ing race in regard to the other races of the world, but there is a lesser, though still interesting, subject, in endeavouring to forecast what the world has in store for the English language. To some extent, no doubt, the language will follow the destinies and the fortunes of those who speak it, but in various aspects it will have a history of its own,

Perhaps the first point that will occur to most minds will be, whether the English language will become the universal tongue which a great many people seem to think will prevail amongst mankind at some time before the millennium or the end of the world. Well, if the world is ever to speak one language, English has certainly the best chance. It is first in the race for the universal stakes, and the others are nowhere. But notwithstanding all the influences tending that way, we do not believe in a universal tongue. The spirit of the Tower of Babel is still too strong upon mankind. Men are intensely conservative in regard to their speech. In some districts of the Highlands of Scotland, where for centuries the people have been surrounded by an English-speaking people, where all the literature is English, where every youth depends for advancement in life upon his knowledge of English, the Gaelic language still prevails, la Canada, which has for generations been separated from France, large communities still speak French, and claim that French shall be recognised in the legislature. In South Africa again, we have a Dutch speaking people. All these instances show how stubborn a thing language is to deal with, and prove that probably centuries will elapse before the English language is universal even throughout the British Empire, And indeed when one thinks of the splendid literatures of Germany, France, and Spain, he has no inclination to wish for the time when the languages of these countries shall be dead. We give the following figures from Mulluill's Dictionary of Statistics to show what a vast advance the English language has mifde in ninety years

In 1801 our ratio was 12 7, in 1890 it was 27 7. The ratio of France lias fallen from 19'4 to 12'7. In fact, every language lias fallen in ratio except the German, which stands at 18*7 for both periods. English will no doubt bocome the dominant language of the world, just us the English race will be dominant. And this counts for very much. This mere dominance will probably make it the language of science, of commerce, of diplomacy. A German professor has advocated the future writing of all scientific memoirs in English, for the simple reason that already a much larger public is addressed through the English language than through any other. A testimony to the dominance of English has just occurred. The book describing the travels of Dr. Nansen and his companions, all of them Norwegians, was got out in English first of all, to supply the book markets of London and New York. The Norwegian version was of very little importance. It is a pity that our language is not better adapted than it is for universal adoption for certain uses. It is made up from a number of discordant sources. Its pronunciation is entirely without rule or system. Further, our method of money reckoning, and all our weights and measures, are simply maddening in their confusion when contrasted with the simple and uniform systemsadopted by the peoples who have much less business to do than we have. Still, every man who writes any scientific paper, or who thinks he has made any scientific discovery, or any method of applying science to the ordinary wants of life, is bound first and foremost to make it accessible to English-speaking people.

Then there is no doubt that the Etig lish tongue, with all its olumsiness and imperfections, is forcing itself upon people of foreign and diverse races. In course of time it will eradicate Welsh, and the Gaelic of the Highlands and of Ireland. The French of Canada, and the Dutch of South Africa, will also be compelled to go. There are many peculiar facts to be stated in connection with this spread of English. The negroes of the United States of America numbering' several millions, have no language but English, such as the language is in their mouths. The people of different districts in China cannot understand eaoh other, and when Chinamen from different parts meet, their only means of communication is the "pigeon-English" of Hongkong.

Can the language be preerved good and pure, becoming better adapted for all the great purposes it lias to serve We know accurately .its history in the past, but it is now becoming subject to influences of an extraordinary nature. A# people scatter over the world their language tends to become divergent. A writer in the last number of the Westminster says that the story of Babel is doubtless based upon the observations , of some primitive Semitic Grimm, who

bad noted how languages, obviously cognate, had somehow ceased to be mutually understood. That is the centrifugal force of language, but there is now a powerful centripetal force-in our literature to which all educated people have access; in our systems of education, which are constantly modifying each other; and in our travel and commercial intercourse. These are forces which keep nations living far apart in unity as regards languaae. But modification in our language goes on in other forms. Words are coined in America, are used in spobeii language for a time, then find their way into the dictionaries, and are accepted as classical. Even Australia and New Zealand are furnishing words which for some time are accounted slang, but which by and by are acknowledged as legitimate and useful. We are in contaot with many races, and words from them are becoming incorporated. Words from China are making their appearance, and we have adopted words and phrases from the negro and the Red Indian.

As to pronunciation there is likely to be very considerable divergence. The dialects of England and the Lowlands of Scotland are legitimately descended from the tribes of Saxons or Angles who settled there. Chaucer was termed by another poet, " that well of English undefiled," while nowadays we can scarcely recognise his language as English at all. Even Sliakespere requires a glossary, and pronunciation lias greatly changed since his time. An educated Englishman requires to listen very attentively to make out everything that an American says, and probably will require an explanation of the meaning of certain words. The future of the English language will be something that the world lias never yet seen. We shall have it the language in which all science is ultimately embodied, the language of the sea, a tongue spoken in every latitude, and by many peoples. All this will give the English-speaking people an advantage over the other races of the world,

1801. 1890. English 20,5-21),000 ... 111,10J, French 31,450,000 ... ol.'iuO.OlX) German 30,3-0,1X10 ... 75,'200,000 Russian oO,77i),OUO ... 75.01)0,000 Spanish 26, 190,000 ... 42,800,000 Italian 15,070,000 ... 33,400,000 tortUKuesu ... 7,480,000 ... 13,000,000 161,800,000 ... 401,700,000