According to Jean-Paul Nerriere, the man who coined the term "Globish", this "decaffeinated English" will become the world's most widely spoken language. WHAT???
http://www.globish.com/
Blog articles on "globish":
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/mar/29/globish-international-language
http://ideas.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/the-rise-of-globish/
Maastricht aka Mestreech
Maastricht a.k.a Mestreech, "the oldest city in the Netherlands".
Brian, thanks for your response! I checked out the links and was fascinated by the Esperanto information.
ReplyDeleteCall me naive, but I was completely unaware there's this movement, it seems, to promote the global adoption of a neutral non-national language. I must admit though that it's really a strange concept to me. What I love about language is that it is wonderfully complex and tied to culture and history. Yes, language is a means of communication, but it's so much more than grammar or vocabulary...it's living... everchanging... There are languages around the world that are disappearing, because they're no longer being passed from one generation to the next. I find that very sad and I think I'm more passionate about preserving language than creating a new one.
In any case, I appreciate your viewpoint and that you took the time to share your comments.