Technicalities

August 04, 2006

A Common Language

Over at Trying to Grok, Sarah has just finished reading Mario Pei's The Story of Language. It was written back in 1948 and proposing a common language for everyone in the world. One of Sarah's thoughts is:

But set aside the diplomatic nightmare of implementing a universal language -- and I'm certain that's the reason that it's never been done in the 60 years since Pei suggested it -- and imagine for a moment what such a world would be like.

On thinking about this, I know it would have to be a very basic language - all concrete with no slang. Because slang is the area where people traditionally get caught. For instance, take the recent dust up between the White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen and Sun Times Columnist Jay Marriotti.

"I've been here for 20 years, but people have to know that I grew up in a different country. That's not an excuse. I called the guy that name, but, no, that's the way I grew up, that's the way I've learned that language," he said.
"I don't have an excuse to say that, I have been here enough to know you can use so many words in the States.

The word being referred to is "fag". In America, as we all know this has now become the standard, name calling type slang for male homosexual. (for some reason it's never caught on as a term for female homosexual - go figure) In any case, even though Ozzie has been in the states for 20 years and he is fluent enough in the language to get along well, he doesn't really understand the language. The word doesn't effect him at the gut level which is where slang generally hits. He knows it's derogatory, thus he used it in trying to insult someone, but he doesn't really feel it.

I heard many sportscasters who speak English and (one assumes from their comments) only English, sneering that Ozzie should know better. After all "everyone knows what "fag" means, it's got the same meaning everywhere you speak English"!!! Yes, I actually heard that very sentence come out of the mouth of one of the local talking heads on radio. Apparently he's never been to Great Britain where the word fag is often used as a slang term for cigarette.

The point I'm winding my way around, is that people love their slang. I don't know if it would even be possible to create a language that was completely concrete with no recourse to slang. Even if you start out with that intention, people being people would eventually corrupt it with changes and shortcuts eventually devolving into regional slang and then the concept of a universal language will once again dissolve.

It certainly would be a nice thing to have one common world language and it's an interesting thought to ponder, but I don't know if humans could accomplish this. English, in it's various incarnations may be as close as we get.

Posted by: Teresa in Books at 06:27 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 503 words, total size 3 kb.

1 That story reminds me of a time around 1989 when I was living in England. At that time smoking was still allowed in certain sections of the plant where I worked, and there were two young men in my department who would go downstairs together for a "fag break" a few times a day. I knew they meant a smoking break, but I didn't dare tell them how that sounded to an American.

Posted by: Marie at August 04, 2006 08:02 AM (RzGrT)

2 Oh T - you nailed it...

But if we have to go with only one universal language, I vote that we adopt that one that uses only clicking noises...