ON A DOMINANT LANGUAGE FOR SCIENCE 241 



the period — a language tolerably simple and very clear. It had an ad- 

 vantage in its resemblance to Latin, which was then widely known. 

 An Englishman, a German, was already half acquainted with French 

 through his knowledge of Latin ; a Spaniard, an Italian, was three parts 

 advanced in his study of the language. If a discussion were sustained 

 in Frencli, if books were written or translations made in this language, 

 all the world understood. 



In the present century, civilization has much extended north of France, 

 and population has increased there more than to the south. The use of 

 the English tongue has been doubled by its extension into America. The 

 sciences are more and more cultivated in Germany, in England, in the 

 Scandinavian countries, and Eussia. The scientific center of gravity 

 has advanced from the south toward the north. 



Under the influence of these new conditions, a language can only be- 

 come predominant by presenting two characters : first, it must possess 

 sufficient German and Latin words or forms to be within reach at once 

 of the Germans and of the people who make use of Latin tongues ; 

 secondly, it must be spoken by a considerable majority of civilized people. 

 In addition to these two essential conditions, it would be well for the 

 definitive success of a language that it should also possess the qualities 

 of grammatical simplicity, of conciseness, and clearness. 



English is the only language which may, in fifty or a hundred years 

 offer all these conditions united. 



The language is half German and half Latin. It possesses German, 

 words, German forms, and also French words, and a French method of 

 constructing sentences. It is a transition between the principal lan- 

 guages used at present in science, as French was formerly between 

 Latin and several of the modern languages. 



The future extension of the Anglo-American tongue is evident. It 

 will be rendered inevitable by the movement of the populations in the 

 two hemispheres. Here is the proof, which it is easy to give in a few 

 words and a few figures. 



At the i)resent time the population stands thus, (Almanach de Gotha, 

 1871:*) 



English-speaking peoples in England, 31,000,000; in the United States, 

 40,000,000 ; in Canada, &c., 4,000,000; in Australia and New Zealand, 

 2,000,000 ; total, 77,000,000. 



German -speaking peoples in Germany and a portion of Austria, 

 00,000,000; in Switzerland, (German cantons,) 2,000,000; total, 02,000,000. 

 French-speaking peoples in France, 36,500,000 ; in Belgium, (French 

 portion,) 2,500,000; in Switzerland, (French cantons,) 500,000; in Alge- 

 ria and the colonies, 1,000,000; total 40,500,000. 



Now, judging by the increase that has taken place in the present cen- 

 tury, we may estimate the probable growth of population as follows : t 



*No uotice is here taken of the English-speaking people in India and the East. — J. E. G. 

 t Almanach de Gotha, 1870, p. 1039. 

 16 s 



