The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-06-06


resides at Iitzelstetten, village on the banks
of Lake Constance, about four miles from the
city of Constance. He IS Roman Catholic
priest and his parish embraces Litzelstetten
and the romantic island of Mainau. lying in
the lake Just opposite. His age is hfty-three.
and he has passed the last Ten years in this
quiet region upon stipend OF about $500
yearly He is well known as an author of
sacred poetry and as an editor OF several re-
ligiOus periodicals. For years he cherished
the idea of a scientific, international language,
and determined to study all the principal
languages of the earth, with view of initial
ing all their eXcellences ana avoiding all their
defects. His mind does not appear 20 have
been so much occupied with philosophical
ANALYSIS of the origins OF language or with
comparative philology rs with the study of
language as practical means OF communica-
ton and 1pressiOn-studytng effects as
produced on the canvas rather than the chem
ical constitution of the pigments. He made
minute study of twenty-five languages and
made himself fairly acquainted with as many
more. He Is, of course, committed TO phonetic
spelling for all languages and hopes to intro
duce his ''world-alphabet' (vOaafab), which
is an extenton of the volapHk alphabet This
Is sphere in which | do not consider him so
successful as in vOlapHk itself. The minute
study of sounds and their representation is
of itself wide enough field for other explOr-
ers, and when the alphabet OF the future Is
adopted shall expect to see 1t rather of the
type of Alexander Melville Bells "Visible-
Speech" method Schleyers task is great
enough in his own sphere. He does not con-
slider it as entirely finished, either. The last
edition of the dictionary contained ten thou
sand words enough for every day inter-
course, and containing the germs of all other
words which shall be needed But in every
number of the "VolapAkabled," new express
siOns are called for and announced.
"Then the movement has its organT'
Yes: no movement in this century is "or.
ganized" until it has its "organ." The month
| iy periodical "VolapHkabled" has just begun
| its fifth year. and has doubled its size. 1t now
contains eight handsomely printed pages of
| the size of those of "Webster's Unabridged"
| 1t is mostly in double columns, one side in
YolapHk and the other in German, or occa-
sionally some other language, as where Prof.
Jvab [Schwabl contributes some English
proverbs with yolapuk TRANSACTIONS; and
Schleyer gives in the January number inter
esting specimens of the language of the
Dakota Indians and their vp equivalents.
notice among the Dakota word, mini" vat
water, which recalls Longfellow and Mime
| haha.
Though strenuous for the unity of the idea
| Father Schleyer is open to improvements and
suggestions. The months, for example, were
called Yanul, Febul, Setul, Otul, etc.
adaptations of the Roman Januarius, Febru
arius, September October, etc.
with the termination ul corresponding 10 mul
month suggested that these names were
unscientific: that Babul, TeluL Kilul, etc.
would be more logical, would not offend thu
Ouakers, would facilitate calculation of tim'
BY their numerical character, and no TIVE
would begin with the same letter, SO that alb
breViation would be distinct and inconfusible
Schleyer promptly accepted this suggestion
laid it before the volapRkatidels and chiefs o
sections, and with their approval these name
are given in the latest dictionary along witt
the Roman ones. Then Bernhaupt If Beiru
Asia Minor, proposed to extend the same prin
cple to the days of the week, substituting
balidel telidel, kilidel, for SOldel, Munde
Tusdel, del being day. This, too, will probs
bly, prevail. To-day" yesterday and tic
morrow" were las nouns designated by stu
del" ''yesdel' and "mOdel;" but notice tina
in the new dictionary more logical forms ar
given, using the tense prefxes, which are;
, for the present time; a. e, / for the past; o an
u for the future. Thus the time adverbs ar
consistently formed: adele, to-day; RdelC
yesterday; edelo, day before yesterday; odelC
tomorrow; ayelo, this year; Oyelo, next year
Rmulo last month, and so on. Thus, seller
planning derivative words are substituted fC
original ones, reducing the work OF memor!
l expect that wendell, evening will, as logici
conclusion, be changed into ladel, which col
tiicts with nothing and expresses "late day,
. as gudel, morning, does 'early day." an
| "zendel' noon, middle day.
5 'VolapHkaklubs" have been rapidly forme
in the last two years. There are nineteen
Holland and many more In Germany, SwitZe
land and Austria. The Holland clubs hay
sprung up quite recently, and the VolapH
idea has taken quick root in that COUNT
4 VIC klulsltu ny Irving . hHlChCiOONhC
fancy as conservative ana slow TO take I
with new things In reality the modern He
lander of the cities is no phlegmatic knicHe
& booker, but practical, alert man OF u
r world. Seventeen enthusiasts have been cor
y missioned as "Cifs" or superiors of terrltori
i sections, having sort Of advisory jurisdi
d ton over the clubs in their province.
|. The first General Volapuk Congress W
k held at Friedrichshafen in August, 1884, al
}. appears to have been highly successful
well as ENJOYABLE, The program is plentiful
interspersed with banquetS, suppers al
"commerse," and the international uniC
v must have been cemented with the effuslC
of much beer. Next summer at Brcgenz, q
other charming and picturesque spot, I
!; second WOrld-Speech-C Congress will be hel
doubtless even more enthusiastic and mo
numerous than the first and perhaps Anne
ca may be represented.
ii II hope she will. And will secure 1t by |
IT vitlng, through the Damn all readers w
+ wish to know more Of the subject and wou
unite in forming club or class, to commu'
u cate through the DdWn or by writing to w
apHkatidel;' care of the Ddcn Publish
Company"
!, Have there been any previous attempts
. universal language
VI 20, yes but none have taken as deep root
# this one, nor has any been founded on t
- same principles, The invention of Bish
:, wilkins l66S and Don Sinbado dc Mas rs
z, were primarily systems of lCriting lCith1
"a lCOrds, or biographies. Both are wonderful
ingenious and may some time be described
me. Stephen Pearl Andrews Alwato twhi
NJ he claims us discovery, not as an inventit
- Is familiar. by name ut least to many. II
VolapHk differs from all these in being, not
10 system of philosophy, but language intend
M for actual international use; and in havi
~ been equipped with the nineteenth centu
y appliances of movement the periodi
NJ publication and the club" - Charles
re- Sprdgte, IN N. Y. Damn.