A Planned Auxiliary Language

Abstract

ONE of the suggestions for the scientific programme of the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation made by the Mexican Delegation at the Conference of the Natural Science Committee of the Preparatory Commission in June last year was that a single international scientific language should be chosen from among German, English, Spanish, French, Latin, Russian and Chinese as the official language for international scientific conferences, congresses and other meetings, and scientific works written in any other language should always include a sufficiently full summary in this international language. The difficulties in the way of adopting any suggestion on these lines are obvious, though the numerous international scientific conferences during the past year have directed fresh attention to the need. This comparative review of the five systems of planned international language already proposed-Esperanto, Ido, Occidental, Novial, and Interlingua-merits careful consideration. Dr. H. E. Palmer contributes a preface describing the various approaches which have led to the proposals for artificial or planned languages, and after discussing the functions of a planned language, Mr. Jacob describes the five systems and then considers in succession the structural problems of the planned language and present-day movements in this field. Two chapters on the preliminary project of the Russian Academy of Sciences for a technical nomenclature, and on technology and the language problem, appear to exaggerate the barrier which language has placed to technical communication, and the treatment of nomenclature is altogether too superficial. There is an adequate bibliography.

A Planned Auxiliary Language

By H. Jacob. Pp. 160. (London: Dennis Dobson, Ltd., 1947.) 10s. 6d. net.