The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-21
ENGLISH AT THE HEAD.
Spoken by More People Than Any Other
Language of Civilization.


Language of Civilization.
More people speak English than any
other language now in use in the civilized
world, and the increase in the use of Eng
lish is so rapid that it may ultimately out
strip all the European languages collec-
lively. At the beginning of the present
century French stood at the head of Ian
guages in general use. Then 20 per cent OF
the people of Europe and America spoke
Fren CHI. Then followed in the order
named: Russian. 10 per cent; German,
Is per cent; Spanish, 16 per cent; English,
II per cent; and Italian, 9per cent. French
was the language of treaties, of fashion, OF
international correspondence and, to
considerable extent, of commerce. At the
beginning of the present century twice as
many people in Europe spoke French as
English and twice as many spoke German
as English. More persons in Europe
spoke Italian than English, and, in fact,
English had subordinate rank.
Colonization in America and Australia,
and particularly the enormous increase OF
population in the United States, favored
the extension of English. Colonization in
South and Central America favored
Spanish, and in Brazil, Portuguese. One
reason of the rapid and general extension
of the English language has been that
colonization from Great Britain has been
tries, and the English have made their in
fiuence felt more decisively than have the
people of other nations in colonies. Thus,
for instance, Holland has to-day extensive
colonies in various parts OF the world.
The present population of Holland Is
1000 COO, and of the Dutch colonies a.
100000. The area of Holland in square
900. But the Dutch language has never
been extended to any great extent by rea.
son of these colonies. the inhabitants of
which have never learned Dutch.
| The French, Italian and Russian lam
| guages have not been extended greatly
! throughout colonization. AS a cOnse-
| quence of the changes through colonial
| ton and otherwise 100000 people now
speak English instead of 20,0000 600 as at
the beginning of the century. German has
| held its own without variance for nearly
| 100 years, and is still spoken by Is per cent
OF those speaking any European language.
| Russian has fallen off a little, not in num-
hers but in per ntage, and so have all the
Latin languae, The number of persons
speaking French at the beginning Of the
century was 81, 100000, and now it is 81 600
600. The number of persons speaking
| Spanish at the beginning of the century
was 100000 600, now it is AZ, 100000 The
number of those persons speaking Italian
has increased from 10, 100000 to 10000, 600
| just double.
In Europe to-day German stands at the
head. 1t is the language of $4,000, 900 peo-
/ pie, Russian follows with 10000, 900, French
with 100000, English with 38,000,0 600,
Italian with 100000, and Spanish with
| II 1000 GO. In the United States the growth
of English has been, and continues to be,
most rapid, and the two countries which
are gaining most by the increase of popu-
! lation, the United States and Australia,
are both English-speakng countries, and
bid fair to keep English at the head.-Now
| York Sun.