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This thoughtful study opens by asking whether the world truly needs a single, universal tongue. It frames the issue in two parts—principle and practice—exploring the economic, scientific, and cultural motivations behind a shared language while weighing the fears of loss and linguistic homogenization.
The author then surveys the long, winding history of artificial tongues, from early British attempts to the rise and setbacks of Volapük, Idiom Neutral, and the modern surge of Esperanto. Detailed examinations of grammar, vocabulary, and practical benefits are paired with comparative tables that show how much easier learning can become when a regular, constructed language is used as a bridge.
Interwoven with reflections on the future of global communication, the book invites listeners to consider how a common auxiliary language might shape education, diplomacy, and even accessibility for the blind—offering a rich, scholarly yet accessible look at an enduring linguistic quest.
Full title
International Language, Past, Present & Future With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (378K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Jonathan Ingram, William Patterson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2005-09-24
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
An early British advocate for Esperanto, he wrote thoughtfully about the dream of a shared international language. His best-known work explores how language might bridge cultures rather than divide them.
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