532 Professor F. G. Don nan [March 24, 



nations of the world ; what we may therefore call an auxiliary 

 international language. 



As late as the 18th Century, Latin served the purpose of an 

 auxiliary international language for the learned world, whilst French 

 has long held sway as the common language of diplomacy (though 

 recent events have tended to give English an equal rank). It may 

 come to pass in the distant future that one of the great modern 

 languages will be gradually accepted by all nations as a common 

 auxiliary tongue known to and used by all. Many Englishmen 

 fondly believe that this high destiny is reserved for their mother 

 language. The very unphonetic character of English spelling pre- 

 sents a great difficulty in this connection. One might, however, 

 avail oneself of the work of the Simplified Spelling Society, of 

 which the following is an example : — " It is the jeneraishonz of 

 children tu kum hoo apeel tu us tu saiv them from the aflikshon 

 which we hav endeured and forgoten." 



Or we might use the very scientific phonetic script of Dr. "Wilfred 

 Perrett, which he calls " Peetickay." I will show you the Lord's 

 Prayer in English according to this phonetic manner of writing : — 



nr + f-a-r\fot-g -rt tn h/v-n.hxl^d 



bl 3 J n/m. &-> cir)d~Tn ic_m. c3 J wil 



bl d-n ^n ~r]?,^z it 12 m h/v-n. 



giv _s dfs d/ -jr d/l' br/d. ^nd 



* % rgiv _s -|T t r /sp~s*i z , ^2 wl fv rgiv 



d/ro (i^t tr/SD~e ~g/nst _s. ^-nd lid 



_s n-t mt| t/mpt /Jti; b_t d*iiiv«r _s 



frMft Ivil: f^r d J u iz 3" cirjd~m,d~ 



p-|r,*nd ct~ gl\r',f^r /vt ^nd /v-r.-m/n. 



With all due respect one cannot help feeling that the problem of 

 an auxiliary international language is not to be solved in this way. 



Those who have given the greatest amount of study to this 

 subject have come to the conclusion that the world will not accept 

 any living national language as a common medium of intercommu- 

 nication. Feelings of national jealousy, prestige, and advantage are 

 too strong. The international auxiliary language must be neutral. 

 It must also be simple and regular, and simplicity and regularity 

 are not qualities possessed by any living national language. From 

 various points of view Latin would satisfy the condition of neutrality, 



