Newsgroups: sci.lang
From: andre@shappski.demon.co.uk (Andre Shapps)
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!news.mathworks.com!usenet.eel.ufl.edu!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!gatech!swrinde!pipex!peernews.demon.co.uk!shappski.demon.co.uk!andre
Subject: Re: The cousins of esperanto?
References: <3if5kr$rq4@mordred.cc.jyu.fi>
Organization: The Soundfile
Reply-To: andre@shappski.demon.co.uk
X-Newsreader: Newswin Alpha 0.7
Lines:  86
X-Posting-Host: shappski.demon.co.uk
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 17:47:52 +0000
Message-ID: <218954247wnr@shappski.demon.co.uk>
Sender: usenet@demon.co.uk

In article: <3if5kr$rq4@mordred.cc.jyu.fi>  Jorma Kyppo <jorma@jytko.jyu.fi> 
writes:
> 
> Could someone give information about other artificial languages
> than (and) esperanto.
> Volapuk?
> How many they are and how many of them are living? And how many
> speakers?

I tried to post this before, but I didn't see it coming back to me. Apologies if 
it's appeared more than once for anyone, but in any case I've added some more 
detail this time.

As a collector of very strange records, I picked up one in New York three or four 
years ago called "One Language For The World", by Dr. Mario Andrew Pei, on the 
excellent Folways label. Dr. Pei, according to the comprehensive sleeve notes 
(actually a booklet) is an Italian who moved to the US at the age of 7.

The notes decline to say how many languages he speaks, or spoke probably; since 
he was born in 1901 (the record is from 1961) I doubt that he is still alive. It 
claims that "with the possible exception of one member of the United Nations 
Sectretariat, Mario Pei reads, speaks or understands more languages that any man 
alive", although listening to the record he does so with a variety of strange 
accents.

Anyway, he goes on to give arguments for and against a variety of natural and 
invented languages as candidates for world domination, towit: Greek, Latin, Basic 
English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese, Finnish, 
Russell's Suma, Peano's Flexionless Latin, Interglossa, Cheshikhin's Nepo, 
Interlingua and (the moment at least half of the lurkership of this group has 
been awaiting) Esperanto (the other half was satisfied when I got as far as 
Russian).

Basic English and Esperanto we know about already I think, especially the latter. 
There must be people on this newsgroup who know more about both than Dr. Pei. Of 
the other constructed languages, here are some brief details; in the sleeve 
notes, which include the entire text of the record as Folways records often do, 
some of the descriptions are rather more scant than others.


Russell's Suma
==============

Apparently not linked to any known language. Created in America, 1957 (can you 
really create an entire language in a year?), presumably by a Mr. Russell.


Peano's Flexionless Latin
=========================

Based on Latin words with a Romance word order, but without classical endings


Interglossa
===========

Combines Chinese syntax with western scientific words, mainly from Greek and 
Latin sources. Created by Lancelot Hogben, apparently author of "Mathematics for 
Millions" and "The Loom of Languages". I'm not sure whether Dr. Pei means to 
imply that it is to be used only in scientific contexts, since his example is the 
Lord's Prayer.


Cheshikin's Nepo
================

Blends Romance, Greek, Germanic and Slavic elements. Created 1910.


Interlingua
===========

Designed specifically for use at scientific congresses mainly as a written 
language. The pilot languages were Latin, French, Spanish. Portuguese, Italian, 
English, German and Russian, clearly rather Eurocentric. However, its "foremost 
proponent", Dr. Gode, also produced a sample of an intercontinental version, 
which included elements of Oriental languages. Interlingua was produced by a team 
of linguists working for nearly 30 years (now that sounds more like it).


Dr. Pei does give examples, but it's rather a lot to type in. If anyone's 
interested enough I'll fax them to myself and use some OCR s/ware on them.
-- 
Andre Shapps

