Poll: One world language?

[GLo Jones]

Lots of languages are dying off, you just need to like at the UK and the huge amounts of money they are spending to "save" languages like Gaelic and Welsh (?) to see that, but do you think we're moving towards a single one world language and would that be a good thing?

If so, which language should / will it be? Mandarin and Cantonese are both spoken by a lot of people, but then you've got English which is pretty much the de facto "lingua franca" (and isn't that a funny phrase when used in this context) of the business and digital world at the moment.

Or should we develop an artificial language like Esperanto (only you know better...)?

Seriously, I don't understand why people here are all picking English. Sure, it widely spoken in the developed world. But if you think it's easy to learn, you are a fool. English has so many rules, and even more exceptions to those rules. It has a ridiculous amount of silent 'E's, the way we combine vowels is just bizarre, and a vast amount of words are actually taken from other languages, with their own rules.

The ideal language would be Spanish (why is it not in the poll?), as it is the most intuitive language to pick up. It is pretty much pronounced exactly how it looks, there are far less exceptions to the established rules, and it is already widely spoken.

It is the easiest language to learn for all those that understand the Latin alphabet (the most widely used in the world).

 

[The Cheezy One]

Baba yetu, yetu uliye
mbingube yetu, yetu amina

 

[Cypher10110]

language is a fascinating topic. talking to someone is basically poetry, in that you are trying to convey meaning using words, a conversation is the most basic example, lyrics and poetry are more complex and "rich" examples.

The language you use will change the options of expression open to you. I personally find eastern languages particularly interesting (as they have their roots far from Latin based languages), as they have no just different words, but different concepts.

Only bits I remember from memory is stuff like opportunity and problem are the same word in Japanese (I think it's Japanese), because they see them as the same thing, and when you think about it, they basically are. A problem can have numerous different solutions, so "opportunity" makes sense.

I don't think language will ever be united in 1 language, I think the capacity for us to become multilingual, and mix languages is more likely.

Someone's probably already pointed this out but, if not: you're probably thinking of the Chinese word for "crisis". It is a commonly held incorrect belief that the hanzi making up that word are the chinese words for "danger" (wei) and "opportunity" (ji). And while "wei" does translate as "danger", "ji" actually translates to something like "critical moment" rather than "opportunity".

That's really interesting, so it's more considered like "turning point" than opportunity. I genuinely would love to learn something like mandarin or Japanese. I guess it's difficult to take a word out of context really. As the whole sentence needs to be understood as a whole.

What are they called, those 3 character "words" that are really short stories. "tip of the iceberg" is one, and "when in a pumpkin patch, do not stop to adjust your sandals, and when under a cherry tree, do not adjust your hat". Tip of the iceberg having the same meaning as English, but the other has connotations like "be careful what others see, it may not reveal your intent", and "appearances can be deceiving" (the implication that you looks like your stealing).

It's interesting because these 3character "words" have the face meaning and the deeper meaning, the face meaning is the actual word the spell out, and the deeper meaning is through the little stories associated with them. It's interesting really, but I imagine there are alot of these in use, so there would be alot to learn.

 

[Aerodyamic]

I don't care if I've been ninja'd: The Language of Looooove iz all we needs to make ze world a bettah place,

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Given this forum, you'll possibly be getting a slight bias to the voting...

 

[LordVikingofFire]

It was tried actually. They tried to make a language and...ah hell wiki attack--

Esperanto (help·info) is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto (Dr. Hopeful), the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887. Zamenhof's goal was to create an easy-to-learn and politically neutral language that would serve as a universal second language to foster peace and international understanding.
Esperanto is the only constructed language with native speakers, that is, people who learned it from their parents as one of their native languages. Estimates range from 10,000 to two million additional active or fluent speakers. Usage is particularly high in eastern and northern Europe, eastern Asia, Brazil, and Iran. A World Congress of Esperanto was organized in France in 1905, and since then has been held in various countries every year apart from during the world wars. Although no country has adopted it officially, Esperanto was recommended by the French Academy of Sciences in 1921, was recognized by UNESCO in 1954, and is currently the language of instruction of a university in San Marino. There is evidence that learning Esperanto may provide a superior foundation for learning languages in general, and some primary schools teach it as preparation for learning other foreign languages.

 

[tkioz]

The ideal language would be Spanish (why is it not in the poll?)

Holy... How many times do I need to explain that it was an oversight.

I'm Spaniard, so yeah, I'm also a little annoyed for not seeing Spanish in the poll. I've seen your reasons for not putting it, tkioz, and... well... it just doesn't cut it.

Spanish is the second most spread language in the world, second only to English. In rough number, more people speaks Chinese, but that's because of China's insanely huge population. Even with that, Spanish would be in third position.

If you knew about that, there's no way in hell you would have skipped it. That's just plain ignorance. I don't mean to be offensive, but I can't use a softer word. For this situation, it just doesn't exist.

How about HONEST MISTAKE for a descriptor... you know this was something knocked together in about 5mins, not an article or essay that proof read or fact checked. So ease off mate.

 

[Arsen]

I believe it destroys culture in a manner of speaking...har har.
Seriously though, some regions should maintain their linguistic roots whereas others should embrace more powerful ones for the sake of being able to bring themselves out of the ditches. Many nations in Africa and certain other nations would benefit severely from this.

 

[GLo Jones]

The ideal language would be Spanish (why is it not in the poll?)

Holy... How many times do I need to explain that it was an oversight.

I'm Spaniard, so yeah, I'm also a little annoyed for not seeing Spanish in the poll. I've seen your reasons for not putting it, tkioz, and... well... it just doesn't cut it.

Spanish is the second most spread language in the world, second only to English. In rough number, more people speaks Chinese, but that's because of China's insanely huge population. Even with that, Spanish would be in third position.

If you knew about that, there's no way in hell you would have skipped it. That's just plain ignorance. I don't mean to be offensive, but I can't use a softer word. For this situation, it just doesn't exist.

How about HONEST MISTAKE for a descriptor... you know this was something knocked together in about 5mins, not an article or essay that proof read or fact checked. So ease off mate.

NO EXCUSES!!

Nah, just kidding, didn't realise you were getting stick over it, my bad.

 

[shadyh8er]

Lolspeak. It's spreading!

OT: I don't think any language is going to dominate the world. If it does, I won't live to see it.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Mite as well be english since the English already laid the ground work for it.

 

[Colour Scientist]

Well My first thought is English.
But isn't it something like Spanish that's the most widely spoken language?

It's Mandarin Chinese. Much more people speak Mandarin Chinese, Western people tend to assume it's english because that's what they're surrounded by.

There never will, nor should there be, a universal language. How boring would that be?
To get rid of a popululation's language would take a huge chunk out of their culture.

 

[Jester00]

Many languages nowadays are changing, I've heard that French and German are interchanging on some things. (Frenchfries was the example I was given, was told that Germans are using pommes-frites instead of der guten deustch word).

i've never noticed that, but you are right. pommes-frites isn't german.
but not only french and german, english uses some german words too, f.e. kindergarten, poltergeist or dachshund (weird examples, i know.)

 

[Communist partisan]

Not English, Cockney English and if you disagree I hit you whith my jam jar and it'll be barney rubble.

 

[Sewblon]

Lets make it Latin.

 

[Canadian Briton]

WHAT!? What are all these made up fakey languages in the poll!
Everyone knows that there are only two languages in the world:
English and Foreignese!
Jokes aside I think English will probably be it, because its widespread and U.S culture carries english with it.

 

[Korten12]

111 votes for None..? Wth..?

 

[Canadian Briton]

111 votes for None..? Wth..?

That means they don't think there will be a one world language. I think.

 

[Admiral Stukov]

Binary or bust!

In all seriousness, I'm all for English as a world language.

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

I just hope there won't be a uniformisation of everything in this world ! do you imagine we're all the same ? no cultural differences no variety in languages, no ethnic stuff, if the world would turn so grey, then the modern Anthropology would be very sad...