The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-10-11
THE LANGUAGE OF THE FUTURE.


The distinguished Swiss sapant, NJ. AL
phonss De Condolle, in his recent Historic
des Sciences, has ventured some predictions
in regard to the English language which
may interest our readers. A Swiss scholar
ought at least to be an impartial judge.
NJ. De Condolle believes that the English
language is to be the language of the fu-
ture. He grounds his expectations, first
of all, on the structure of the English
tongue. Its forms,' he says, care
adapted to modern tendencies. If you
have to hail a vessel, cry stop to train,
demonstrate a machine, make a physical
experiment, speak in a few words to people
busy and PRACTICAL" you must use the
English language.
This is the tongue that we employ when
we are in hurry, or when We wish to say
anything clearly and briefly. "In the con-
flict Of two languages, he adds, call
things being equal, it is the briefest and
most simple which carries the day." He
states that he has repeatedly seen in Swift
zerland families where the French and
German were equally understood, but that
the French always drives out the German
through its superior flexibility and conven-
fence. In like manner, where English and
French are employed in a Swiss family, and
are equally known, the English drive out
the French. 1t even passes from one gen.
Grafton to another in foreign country on
account of its superior practical convent
ence. In this way he accounts for the fact
that French and German families in Eng
land or America SO quickly lose their native
tongues, while English-speaking families
in France or Germany transmit theirs from
generation to generation. The English
tongue, he says, dispenses with long
phrases and many words; it uses readily
foreign words but shortens them; it has
only indispensable and natural moods; it
has no arbitrary distinction of genders;
the main idea is SO much the object of
each sentence that in conversation one is
not obliged to finish the phrase. He ad-
mits its capital defect, can photography so
irregular, that it needs year for most
children to learn to read" Its pronuncia-
ton, too, he considers, wanting in distinc-
ness. Besides its structure, M. De Con-
dole, holds that its great advantage in the
future is the adaptation of its literature
for families and domestic life. 1t is lit
erature which above all suits the women.
They find in it vast number of works
written with perfect purity and prepriety,
upon subjects which most interest the
female sex, such as religion, poetry, educa-
tion and the like.
The future victory, however, of the Eng
fish language the Swiss sayant rests on
more scientific grounds. At the present
moment the English is spoken, lie esti-
mates, by seventy-se millions of people
in England, Aust. ALA and America. The
German includes sixty-two millions; the
French, in France, Belgium, and the colo
MES, forty and one half millions. In Eng
land the population doubles once in fifty
years, SO that in century, or 1870, it will
four millions. In the United States, Can
ada, and Australia, population doubles
once in twenty-five years, so that their
numbers in 1870 will be seven hundred
and thirty-six millions. The total num-
Der, then, of the English speaking people
in 1870 will be eight hundred and sixty
millions. In Germany, on the other hand,
the population in the north doubles in
from fifty-six to sixty years; that of the
south in one hundred and sixty-seven
years. Taking one hundred years as the
average, the number of the German-speak-
peoples in 1870 will be one hundred and
twenty four millions.
In France the population doubles in
about one hundred and forty years, so that
in century the French-speaking peoples
would amount to sixty-nine and half
millions. According to this estimate, the
German-speaking individuals would only
form the seventh part Of the French speak
ing, only the twelfth or thirteenth part of
those speaking English in 1870, and both
together would only amount to quarter
of the English speaking races.
The future victory of the English Ian
guage seems to this Swiss scholar assured.
His wise conclusion from this prediction is
that a heavy responsibility rests on the
English-speaking races to preserve the
purity and unity of their tongue. The
danger which he fears is that English may
break into three languages related to one
another, like Italian, Spanish and Portu-
guese. 1t should be our noble ambition to
preserve one great anG pure tongue-the
tongue of Milton and Shakespeare-as the
future universal language for the thought
and business of the world. Americans, lie
thinks, will have the most influence in this
work, for their country will lead those of
the English-speaking races. Thus far, we
believe, the language has suffered no per-
ceptible strain Or corruption upon this
continent. York Times.