Which one? Methought English and maintain this thought until convinced otherwise.
Which one? Methought English and maintain this thought until convinced otherwise.
Emotion, passions, and desires are, thus peace is not.
Emotion: you have it or it has you.
---
Pay heed to my story named The Thief in the Mead Hall.No.
---
Check out some of my music.
That linguistical chimera ? Surely you jest, sir.
"Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. --- Proof of the existence of the FSM, if needed, can be found in the recent uptick of global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Apparently His Pastaness is to be worshipped in full pirate regalia. The decline in worldwide pirate population over the past 200 years directly corresponds with the increase in global temperature. Here is a graph to illustrate the point."
-Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Any of the Khoisan languages. Compared to their intricate sound system, the other 99.9% of humanity sounds like chimps uttering indistinguishable 'oomphs' and 'aahs'.
Clicky. ('Clicky' being a pun in this case)
Syntax, semantics etc. are very intricate and straightforward at once. For example, they distinguish between masculine and feminine inanimate nouns. Feminine is associated with short, broad, round objects. Masculine are objects that are long and narrow.
Love
A nation of sheep will beget a a government of wolves. Edward R. Murrow
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. —1 John 2:9
Body language or mathematics...
Cataphract Of The City
Profanity.
"I'm going to die anyway, and therefore have nothing more to do except deliberately annoy Lemur." -Orb, in the chat
"Lemur. Even if he's innocent, he's a pain; so kill him." -Ignoramus
"I'm going to need to collect all of the rants about the guilty lemur, and put them in a pretty box with ponies and pink bows. Then I'm going to sprinkle sparkly magic dust on the box, and kiss it." -Lemur
Mafia: Promoting peace and love since June 2006
Violence. Or maybe Esperanto?
Only if it has enough explosive consonants.
A punch in the face certainly gets the message - albeit not a very complex one - across quite universally. As my brother likes to mangle a credit-card ad we saw in France, "il parle tout les langues".
"Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. --- Proof of the existence of the FSM, if needed, can be found in the recent uptick of global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Apparently His Pastaness is to be worshipped in full pirate regalia. The decline in worldwide pirate population over the past 200 years directly corresponds with the increase in global temperature. Here is a graph to illustrate the point."
-Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Music?
"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." - Issac Newton
The most widely appreciated language would be facial and body language. It is universal. Grins indicate happiness. Frowns equal anger or sadness. A certain posture denotes feelings.
However, the easiest language would probably be a Far East Asian Language. Simple grammar structure, multiple symbols. You learn the grammar, the symbols then fall into place.
English is one of the most difficult languages because of words such as....
Phish and Fish
"Nietzsche is dead" - God
"I agree, although I support China I support anyone discovering things for Science and humanity." - lenin96
Re: Pursuit of happiness
Have you just been dumped?
I ask because it's usually something like that which causes outbursts like this, needless to say I dissagree completely.
Spanish would be good. You speak it 'as it sounds', and you write it.
You write Now and you say Nou, but you write hola y sounds ola(because the h is not pronunceable).
Names, secret names
But never in my favour
But when all is said and done
It's you I love
Actions, for they speak louder than words.
Rest in Peace TosaInu, the Org will be your legacy
Originally Posted by Leon Blum - For All Mankind
Esperanto, surely? That's what it's designed for after all.
Co-Lord of BKS and Beirut's Kingdom of Peace and Love.
"Handsome features, rugged exteriors, intellectual chick magnets, we're pretty much twins."-Beirut
"Rhy, where's your helicopter now? Where's your ******* helicopter now?"-Mephistopheles.
English. It's compact, consistant, easy to learn. Why do you think we all speak it here, and just about everywhere on the net.
Body language
Andres is our Lord and Master and could strike us down with thunderbolts or beer cans at any time. ~Askthepizzaguy
Ja mata, TosaInu
Body language - sometimes I think the whole Babel story of the bible is a metaphor for the universal body language being replaced by the non-universal spoken languages, and the development of new gestures that make parts of modern body language too non-universal. However, I think even today people can communicate unambigiously with a restricted body language free of culturally valued gestures - it is our only true universal language.Originally Posted by Bijo
Other than that, English is the de facto holder of the position of "universal language", but I doubt it will remove other languages. It will be the main secondary language of most countries (that aren't already bilingual or trilingual, say Belgium, Switzerland and Finland), unless very large-scale historical events happen.
Last edited by Rodion Romanovich; 07-03-2007 at 10:24.
Under construction...
"In countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and Norway, there is no separation of church and state." - HoreTore
Quoth the Wiki:Originally Posted by FragonyIts inherent qualities matter little in this regard.Modern English is sometimes described as the global lingua franca.[7][8] English is the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment and diplomacy.[2] The influence of the British Empire is the primary reason for the initial spread of the language far beyond the British Isles.[9] Following World War II, the growing economic and cultural influence of the United States has significantly accelerated the spread of the language.
"Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. --- Proof of the existence of the FSM, if needed, can be found in the recent uptick of global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Apparently His Pastaness is to be worshipped in full pirate regalia. The decline in worldwide pirate population over the past 200 years directly corresponds with the increase in global temperature. Here is a graph to illustrate the point."
-Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Apperantly there's a horro movie where everyone speaks Esperanto because the director thought the language was scaryOriginally Posted by Big King Sanctaphrax
I studied it for a year, the concept was good, but language obviously lacks 'soul'.
Yes, Iraq is peaceful. Go to sleep now. - Adrian II
Yes, I thought body language, but of course I meant languages that are spoken, written, etc., etc.
Emotion, passions, and desires are, thus peace is not.
Emotion: you have it or it has you.
---
Pay heed to my story named The Thief in the Mead Hall.No.
---
Check out some of my music.
Oh, body language can be hella misleading. Even the nodding and shaking of the head isn't as universally "yes" and "no" as you think it would be.
Not being a linguist, I'm in an impossible situation to judge. So far Esperanto is probably the only language (spoken and written, I'm not talking about the blind language and sign language or that stuff) constructed meticulously based on a common methodology rather than natural evolution...and from what I hear it isn't even that special, to me even the name itself sounds Spanish.
It's hugely influenced by Latin, which of course has influenced pretty much any European language since the Roman times. I'm not sure how easy Esperanto would be for the Chinese.Originally Posted by AntiochusIII
Yes, Iraq is peaceful. Go to sleep now. - Adrian II
I would maintain that 'fish' ought to be spelled as 'ghoti'. Tough, women, mention.Originally Posted by Marshal Murat
Aye, languages spread not because of their quality, but because of their cultural status, their Gross Linguistic Produc, their usefulness.Originally Posted by Watchman
DOS and Windows aren't bigger than Mac's because of any inherent quality. Everybody simply uses them because everybody uses them. It's the same with languages.
Other artificial languages have been developed too, much improved versions of Esperanto. Esperanto is also not based on universal, but indo-European languages, borrowing heavily from Latin ones in particular.Originally Posted by Antiochius
Braille and sign languages are not universal, but regional.
In Bulgaria yes and no are reversed. I was in Bulgaria two years ago, and even though I was aware of it, it still lead to a lot of confusion. Bulgarians are very aware of it, and will usually reverse their nodding and shaking when communicating with foreigners. But not always, and neither does the foreigner. Every conversation is like that famous one from the Princes Bride'. 'If I shake yes he'll think it's no so I should nod no but he might assume I'm aware of the reversal so I should rather shake yes etc'.Originally Posted by Antiochius
QFT. WIFOM.Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat
Ah, so that explains it then. The Romance languages in general are pretty close as far as languages go.Originally Posted by doc_bean
I learn something new everyday.Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat
Now I ought to google around for artificial and sign languages. Something to do for a boring day.
So it was Bulgaria. I vaguely remembered that this happens in an Eastern/Southeastern (do you Euros use the latter distinction?) European country but I was not sure which one.Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat
Navajo. Just because it sounds so damn cool. Besides, it's almost impossible to learn, so we'd all be starting from the same starting point.
In all seriousness, unless I'm mistaken, Malay is the easiest language to learn, according to linguists. I have no idea of it's ability to clearly impart meaning in a unique context (actually, I would argue this is one of English's inherent flaws.... it IS however a great language for double meanings).
What's wrong with sign language?
"A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man."
Don Vito Corleone: The Godfather, Part 1.
"Then wait for them and swear to God in heaven that if they spew that bull to you or your family again you will cave there heads in with a sledgehammer"
Strike for the South
You hold a phone conversation with it.
"Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. --- Proof of the existence of the FSM, if needed, can be found in the recent uptick of global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Apparently His Pastaness is to be worshipped in full pirate regalia. The decline in worldwide pirate population over the past 200 years directly corresponds with the increase in global temperature. Here is a graph to illustrate the point."
-Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Aaah, but now we have picture phones.
"A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man."
Don Vito Corleone: The Godfather, Part 1.
"Then wait for them and swear to God in heaven that if they spew that bull to you or your family again you will cave there heads in with a sledgehammer"
Strike for the South
*I* don't have one. And what would you have airliner pilots do during takeoffs and landings when they have to talk with the control tower ? Pilot with their toes ? Hmm, trained chimps ought to manage that mind you...
"Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. --- Proof of the existence of the FSM, if needed, can be found in the recent uptick of global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Apparently His Pastaness is to be worshipped in full pirate regalia. The decline in worldwide pirate population over the past 200 years directly corresponds with the increase in global temperature. Here is a graph to illustrate the point."
-Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
You have a point.
Okay, in order to be a universal language:
-A language must be flexible to adopt new words and adapt to new speech patterns (French and German are out).
-But it must do so in a way that still has a systemic order of language rules that can be discerned by the non-native speaker (leaves English out).
-It must have the ability to be both nuanced enough to allow an intentional double-meaning, yet also be direct and clear enough that imprecise communication can be stripped away when required.
I think we're left with only one natural choice folks... ancient Greek. So the last 2500 years have been for nothing?
"A man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man."
Don Vito Corleone: The Godfather, Part 1.
"Then wait for them and swear to God in heaven that if they spew that bull to you or your family again you will cave there heads in with a sledgehammer"
Strike for the South
Although English is my first language, I lament at all the trouble it has caused me. Different people have different assumptions to the rules in English, usually depending on where they're from. It's really difficult to be a respected English writer when I'm in this kind of situation.
Wooooo!!!
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