404 M. A. de Canclolle 07i the Advantage 



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 hun- 

 dred 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 languages 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 evi- 

 dent. 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 present time the population stands thus (Almanach 

 de Gothff, 1871) * :— 



English-speaking peoples — in England 31 millions, in tlie 

 United States 40, in Canada &c. 4, in Australia and New 

 Zealand 2 : total 77. 



German-speaking peoples — in Germany and a portion of 

 Austria 60, in Switzerland (German cantons) 2 : total 62. 



French-speaking peoples — in France 36^, in Belgium 

 (French portion) 2^, in Switzerland (French cantons) |, in 

 Algeria and the Colonies 1 : total 40^. 



Now, judging by the increase that has taken place in the 

 present century, we may estimate the probable growtli of 

 population as follows f : — 



millions. 

 In England it doubles in 50 years; therefore in a century 



(in 1970) it will be 124 



In the United States, in Canada, in Australia, it doubles 



736 



Probable total of the English-s^Qaking race in 1970 . 860 



In Germany the northern population doubles in 56 to 60 

 years, that of the south in 167 years. Let us suppose 

 100 years for the average. It will probably be in 

 1970, for the countries of German speech, about . 124 



In the French-speaking countries the population doubles 

 in about 140 years. In 1970, tlierefore, it will pro- 

 bably amount to 69^ 



r* No notice is here taken of the English -spenkino- people in India and 

 the East.— J. E. G.] 



t Almanach de Gotha, 1870, p. 1039. 



