Winner
Diverse in Unity
(EDIT: READ THE OP BEFORE POSTING, THANKS 
)
Imagine that the UN decides to do something useful for a change (instead of issuing one useless anti-Israeli resolution after another
) and establishes a panel of experts entrusted with the task of constructing a new artificial international language of commerce, science and diplomacy. I hope I don't have to explain why this would be beneficial to the world, so here is just a few reasons:
And so on, and so forth. Of course some of you are going to ask "But hey, Winner, you speak some sort of remotely understandable form of (Cz)english, just like many other people around the world. Why make a new international language when we already have one?"
We don't. The number of people who don't speak English is far greater than the number of those who do. It may currently be the most used in the fields I mentioned (business, science, diplomacy, etc.), but it is far from being universally accepted. In some regions, English plays only a minor role (try traveling in Central Asia without speaking Russian...). Worse, English as an international language is pretty West-centric and it is perceived as such by many people in non-Western societies. It is possible that in the future when the West will play lesser role in the world, other languages may successfully surpass it in some regions (let's consider the future role of China in East Asia, for instance).
Simply put, everybody would profit if we had a neutral, easy-to-learn artificial language, not meant for everyday communication but as a language of commerce, science, technology, diplomacy, (and tourism?), simply put all the stuff you need to keep a globalized world functioning.
I am asking what features would you like to have in it.
Here is what I want:
What do you suggest? My grasp of linguistics is extremely limited, so I'd like to hear opinions of those more qualified on this forum
Keep in mind that this language would be more of a tool, something of a professional 'jargon' for diplomats, businessmen, scientists, philosophers, bureaucrats, politicians, etc. It is not supposed to sound very nice, feel "natural" and "smooth" (as these qualities are usually associated with irregularities), or to become a new language for poets and writers. It should be a practical instrument of communication, nothing more and nothing less.
)Imagine that the UN decides to do something useful for a change (instead of issuing one useless anti-Israeli resolution after another
) and establishes a panel of experts entrusted with the task of constructing a new artificial international language of commerce, science and diplomacy. I hope I don't have to explain why this would be beneficial to the world, so here is just a few reasons:- the new language would be neutral, not spoken by any single nation and thus less prone to be shunned for cultural/nationalistic reasons. Yes, this can be a major impediment.
- it would be much easier than any natural language in existence. Or at least this would be the goal.
- it would facilitate transnational exchange of ideas and make professional communication between people from different parts of the world easier. Just think about how many ideas, inventions and concepts dwell in obscurity because their authors simply don't speak any of the presently used major languages. This can be a serious problem for one's career.
- it would become the main language of diplomacy, reducing the costs associated with translation and confusion which so often results from incorrect interpretation of statements issues by other countries/leaders. As a result, international conflicts would be made a tiny bit less likely.
And so on, and so forth. Of course some of you are going to ask "But hey, Winner, you speak some sort of remotely understandable form of (Cz)english, just like many other people around the world. Why make a new international language when we already have one?"
We don't. The number of people who don't speak English is far greater than the number of those who do. It may currently be the most used in the fields I mentioned (business, science, diplomacy, etc.), but it is far from being universally accepted. In some regions, English plays only a minor role (try traveling in Central Asia without speaking Russian...). Worse, English as an international language is pretty West-centric and it is perceived as such by many people in non-Western societies. It is possible that in the future when the West will play lesser role in the world, other languages may successfully surpass it in some regions (let's consider the future role of China in East Asia, for instance).
Simply put, everybody would profit if we had a neutral, easy-to-learn artificial language, not meant for everyday communication but as a language of commerce, science, technology, diplomacy, (and tourism?), simply put all the stuff you need to keep a globalized world functioning.
I am asking what features would you like to have in it.
Here is what I want:
- Easy pronunciation. Because phonology differs markedly among various languages, it should stick with sounds that are clear and not difficult to pronounce for any human, regardless to his cultural background. Yes, it would severely limit the new language, but since it is not meant for ordinary, everyday communication, it wouldn't be a problem. {No, English doesn't have an easy pronunciation and those foreign learners who think so usually speak with a strong accent
Phonemes like /θ/ (as in think) or /ð/ (then) are just as difficult to pronounce properly as the Czech /r̝/ (Říp), not to mention all the dialect-specific vowels. Difficult sounds like these would not be present in the new international language.}
- Easy grammar. This means regular, predictable grammar with only minimum amount of exceptions. Most learners of foreign languages spend most time learning why certain rules don't apply in specific situations. It is often very frustrating, difficult and, more than anything else, illogical. If I need to go into more detail, I'd prefer a language with no inflections whatsoever, a simplified system of tenses (3 would suffice), an analytical one (meaning is created by combining isolated noninflected words put in correct order) with minimum amount of sexism (grammatical genders cause all sorts of problems). I'd also drop articles (a, an, the and zero in English) and use other determiners when needed. {Yeah, I am biased because I am Czech. We don't use articles and don't seem to have a problem with it. Sure it would be more difficult to implement in a more analytical language like English, but it's not undoable.}
- Absence of idioms and unnecessary collocations, or at least near absence. Yes, you read correctly. Along with irregular grammar, this is the single most difficult thing to learn, and only a few foreigners manage to learn them all (or at least enough of them to pass for native speakers). I'd also reduce the number of phrasal verbs if possible, or at least create clear rules governing their formation.
What do you suggest? My grasp of linguistics is extremely limited, so I'd like to hear opinions of those more qualified on this forum
Keep in mind that this language would be more of a tool, something of a professional 'jargon' for diplomats, businessmen, scientists, philosophers, bureaucrats, politicians, etc. It is not supposed to sound very nice, feel "natural" and "smooth" (as these qualities are usually associated with irregularities), or to become a new language for poets and writers. It should be a practical instrument of communication, nothing more and nothing less.
