The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-07-03
ENGLISH At THE HEAD.
Spoken by Moro People Than Any Oth>
Language Of Civilization.


Spoken by More People Than Any Other
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 English is so rapid that
it may ultimately outstrip all the
European languages collectively. At
the beginning of the present Gen.
fury French stood at tho head of
languages in general use. Then 20
per cent of the people Of Europe and
America spoke French. Then follow
ed in the order named Russian, 10
per cent; German, IS per cent; Span
ish, is per cent; English, 10 per
cent, and italian, per cent. French
was the language of treaties, of fash.
ion, of international correspondence
and to a considerable extent of COM
MERGE. At the beginning of the pres
ent century twice as many people in
Europe spoke French as English, and
twice as many spoke German as Eng
lish. More persons in Europe spoke
Italian than English, and in fact Eng
lish had a subordinate rank.
Colonization In America and Aus.
tralia and particularly tho enormous
increase Of population in the United
States favored the extension of Eng
lish. Colonization in South and Cen.
trail 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 very much larger than from
other countries, and the English
have made their influence felt more
decisive1y than have tho people of
other nations IN colonies. Thus, for
instance, Holland has today extern
sive colonies In various parts of the
world.
The present population of Holland
is 4, 600, 900 and of the Dutch colo.
MES "a, 600. 600. The area Of Holland
In square miles is 10000 and Of the
Dutch colonies 100000. But the
Dutch language has never been OK
tended to any great extent by reason
of these colonies, tho inhabitants Of
which have never learned Dutch.
Tho French, Italian and Russian Ian
guages have not been extended great
ly through colonization. AS conse-
quenoe of the changes through colo
nization and otherwise 10. 600, 600
people now speak English instead of
10000, 600, rs at the beginning Of the
century. German has held it's own
without variance for nearly 100 years
and is still spoken by Is per cont Of
those speaking any European Ian
guage. Russian has fallen off lit
tie, not in numbers, but in percent
age, and so have all the Latin Ian
guages. The number of persons
speaking French at the beginning of
the century was 81, 900, 900, and now
it is 81, 000,00 The number Of per-
sons speaking Spanish at the begin
ming OF tho century was $1,000, 900.
Now 1t is IS, 100000. The number Of
those persons speaking Italian has
increased from Is, 600. 600 to 80, 600, :
000-just double
In Europe today German stands at
the head. It is the language of 68,-
600, 900 people. Russian follows with
10000, 900, Fench with $4,000, 600,
English with 80, 900, 600, Italian with
$1,000, 900 and Spanish with 17,00o,-
900. In the United States tho growth
of English has been and continues to
be most rapid, and the two countries
which are gaining most by the in
crease Of population-the United
States and Australia-aro both Eng
lish speaking countries and bid fair
to keep English at the head.-New
York Sun.