Parolas Esperanto: Universal Languages

Yesterday marked the 150th birthday of L.L. Zamenhof, the creator of the international auxiliary language Esperanto. But although Esperanto is the most popular of the constructed universal languages, it is far from the first.

A desire for universal languages – languages that can be spoken and understood by the whole world’s population – has been around for centuries.

Some present the quest for a universal language in a religious context – the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel presents everyone speaking the same holy language. Some people just want universal languages to simplify communication, whether the language is a primary or secondary one.

In the present day, however, universal languages are no more than a myth. Although some ancient literary languages used to be unifying forces – like Latin and Sanskrit  – their influence has lessened over time.

Now, over 6,000 languages are spoken around the world. But some linguists want to develop international languages that would bring people together in the same way that universal languages might.

Developing an International Language

Since the 1800s, linguists have tried to construct a language that would serve to connect people who spoke different native tongues. These constructed attempts at universal languages are often called “international auxiliary languages” or IALs.

International languages differ from the popular idea of universal languages. IALs aren’t intended to be one’s primary language or replace existing languages. They are meant to be a secondary languages for speakers to facilitate international communication.

Popular Examples of International Languages

The first example of a constructed international language appeared in 1827, and fascination with universal languages continues today.

There are new attempts at a common tongue popping up every few years. Here are a few examples of popular constructed languages:

Solresol

Often cited as the first international language, Solresol is based on the musical scale – there are 7 syllables, each represented by a different note. Word meanings are reversed by reversing the syllable order: “fala” means good, while “lafa” means bad.

Since it was not based on any prior language, Solresol approximates a universal language in that it is the similarly difficult for everyone to learn. But since there are a limited amount of syllable sounds, creating a complex vocabulary can be tough.

Volapük

The first of the attempted universal languages to gain a signficant following, Volapük is based on a combination of English, French and German. About 20 speakers still meet at annual conferences.

Esperanto

By far the most popular constructed language with over 100,000 speakers, Esperanto was created by Zamenhof in the 1880s as a universal second language to promote peace and understanding between countries.

Some speakers, however, criticize the language’s basis on European languages – much of its vocabulary is rooted in Romance languages, and its grammatical structure is largely Indo-European, making it hard for speakers of unrelated languages to learn Esperanto.

Later creators of universal languages attempted to incorporate more diverse influences into the linguistic structure. Lojban, created in 1987, tries to correct this imbalance by taking elements of the six most widely-spoken languages in the world.

Lingua Franca Nova

One of the most recent international languages, Lingua Franca Nova was presented by C. George Boeree in 1995. The language uses elements of French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Catalan to recreate a type of universal Romance language.

Lingua Franca Nova has gained a regular following on the internet, and the “master” dictionary online is frequently updated as the universal language evolves.

The Future of Universal Languages

So far, universal or international languages have yet to meet widespread success for a number of reasons. Many so-called universal languages are actually based on a few specific existing languages, and can be hard for other speakers to learn.

Universal languages also present the possibility of endangering lesser-known languages and the cultures associated with them. Although they can present communication mix-ups,  the richness and diversity of languages in the world is part of what makes it such an exciting place!

For now, learning another language or finding a professional interpreter is the best way to make yourself understood in any language!