Volapük

## Overview

**Volapük** is a constructed language, created in 1879 and 1880 by Johann Martin Schleyer, a Roman Catholic priest in Baden, Germany. Schleyer felt that God had told him in a dream to create an international language. Volapük conventions took place in 1884 (Friedrichshafen), 1887 (Munich) and 1889 (Paris). The first two conventions used German, and the last conference used only Volapük. In 1889, there were an estimated 283 clubs, 25 periodicals in or about Volapük, and 316 textbooks in 25 languages; at that time the language claimed nearly a million adherents. Volapük was largely displaced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Esperanto.

## History

Schleyer first published a sketch of Volapük in May 1879 in *Sionsharfe*, a Catholic poetry magazine of which he was editor. This was followed in 1880 by a full-length book in German. Schleyer himself did not write books on Volapük in other languages, but other authors soon did.

The Dutch cryptographer Auguste Kerckhoffs was for a number of years Director of the Academy of Volapük, and introduced the movement to several countries. The French Association for the Propagation of Volapük was authorized on 8 April 1886, with A. Lourdelet as President and a central committee that included the deputy Edgar Raoul-Duval.[7] However, tensions arose between Kerckhoffs and others in the Academy, who wanted reforms made to the language, and Schleyer, who insisted strongly on retaining his proprietary rights. This led to schism, with much of the Academy abandoning Schleyer's Volapük in favor of Idiom Neutral and other new constructed language projects. Another reason for the decline of Volapük may have been the rise of Esperanto. In 1887 the first Esperanto book (*Unua Libro*) was published. Many Volapük clubs became Esperanto clubs.

By 1890 the movement was in disarray, with violent arguments among the members. Schleyer resigned from the Volapük Academy and created a rival academy. Derived languages such as Nal Bino, Balta, Bopal, Spelin, Dil and Orba were invented and quickly forgotten. By 1900 there were only 159 members of Volapük clubs recognized by Schleyer. The umlauts, which may have been one of the reasons for the language's eventual decline into obscurity, were the subject of ridicule.

## Volapük excerpt from Wikipedia article "Fransän"

**Fransän** (calöfiko: *République française* = Repüblikän Fransänik) binon län Yuropik, kela cifadil topon in Yurop Vesüdik.

Fransän binon bäldikün tatas Yuropik valik, primo in topäd regik labü zän su nisul: *Île-de-France*. Cifazif onik binon el Paris. Liman Konsälalefa Yuropik, binon bal länas, kels efünons Fedi Yuropik, topädi ela *euro* e Spadi ela Schengen. Binon i bal limanas lul Sefakonsälalefa Tatas Pebalöl, e duton lü Fed länas latinik, lü Fed länas Fransänapükik (el *Francophonie* famik), e lü G-8 (Grup länas liegikün jöl).

Digs veütikün ä pelöfölüns Fransäna stabons su demokrat e gitäts menik.

Fransän binon liman ela NBNL (= Noganükam Baläda Nolüda-Latlanteanik, Linglänapüko: *NATO*). Ün 1966 älüvon noganükami militik pebalöl, ab ägegolon dilo ün 2002. Dalabon belödanis vafis taumik.

Konömavasit ona binon katädimik, ab tat flunon nepüliko lifi konömavik pos fin volakriga telid, kelos ädälon one ad fomön fiamis dustodik labülöl pladi vü grups bevünetik veütikün. Votikams mödik sökaleodik äkodons ye, das dü yels kildeg lätik tat Fransänik nevifiko efagükon oki de dins konömavik.

Kuliv Fransänik binon famik su vol valik. Fransän binon län hiela Descartes ä motedöp Tumyela Litas (el *Siècle des Lumières*), kel ekodon Levolutis Fransänik e Lamerikäniki. Lifalekan Fransänik palöfon valöpo, e daif kvisina Fransänik labon belödanis benorepüti bevünetik.

Fransänapük binon pük calöfik Repüblikäna Fransänik, ab kanoy tuvön pükis topik veldegvel su topäd ona.