THE ENGLISH TONGUE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20828, 21 September 1929, Page 21

THE ENGLISH TONGUE.

In the Kone Zurcher Zeitnng there Is an interesting study about the growth and decline of languages during the last hundred years, says the Observer. English now occupies the first place. A century ago it was spoken by not quite 20 milhon people; to-day, it is the language of 160 millions, and 60 more millions understand and use it, even if they do not call it their mother tongue. This rate of increase leaves all other languages far behind. There is no part of the world where English is not spoken. A hundred years ago German was spoken by 32 millions: now it is spoken by between SO and 00 millions, while 20 more millions understand it. The other Teutonic languages show an increase of well over_ 100 per cent., the respective figures being:—Dutch, from 6,300,000 to 15.000. Swedish, from 3,200.000 to 7,500.000; Danish, from 2,100,000 to 5.000.

The growth of the languages of Roman origin is not quite so rapid. Italian leads with an increase from 21,400,000 to 45,000,000, and Spanish comes next (35,200,000 to 50,000,000). French, as a mother tongue, has advanced from 32,400,000 to 45.000.000. but it is also understood by 75 million foreigners. It is the language chiefly acquired hy learning, and in this respect surpasses English by 15 millions.

The only language mentioned as declining is Turkish, which has diminished from 30 to 24 millions.