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A language for all the world1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2012

John Edwards
John Edwards*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, St Francis Xavier University, Canadajedwards@stfx.ca
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Abstract

In the popular mind, constructing a language has always been seen as an odd activity, one that seems to fly in the face of ‘natural’ language dynamics. It is, nonetheless, a very old activity, and attention to its various stages is an important part of the study of linguistic history – and, indeed, of modern scientific development. The first stage involves attempts (highly speculative, of course) to recapture the original lingua humana, as spoken in the Garden of Eden. At a later stage, scholars tried to create entire languages ab ovo, motivated by the desire for a more logical and regular variety that would better reflect and channel scientific classification. Later still – and on into the modern era – ‘artificial’ languages have been assembled from pre-existing rules and components. At all stages, the work has been underpinned by hopes for a more practical medium, but there have also been expectations that a language that was both regular and widely shared would contribute to international harmony and understanding.

Type
Plenary Speeches
Information
Language Teaching , Volume 46 , Issue 3 , July 2013 , pp. 365 - 381
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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Footnotes

1

This paper is only the briefest representation of a much larger monograph project.

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