Delegation for the Adoption of an International Auxiliary Language
Encyclopedia
The Delegation for the Adoption of an International Auxiliary Language (French: Délégation pour l'Adoption d'une Langue Auxiliaire Internationale) was a body of academics convened in the early part of the twentieth century to decide on the issue of the which international auxiliary language
should be chosen for international use. The ultimate decision of the committee charged by the Delegation was to adopt the Esperanto
language, but with certain reforms. The result became a distinct language known as Ido
.
academics Louis Couturat
and Leopold Leau
, who had noted the language difficulties arising among international bodies convening during the 1900 World's Fair
in Paris
. Working with European esperantists, they gathered support for the Delegation from professional societies, companies, and universities.
Among the chief aims of the Delegation were to select a language to be taught alongside "natural languages" and allow written and spoken communication in an international environment. Three conditions were laid out for the language to be chosen:
In June 1907, the Delegation convened and refused to decide the ultimate issue, but rather, at Couturat's insistence, created a committee to make the decision.
, including its author L.L. Zamenhof, warned Couturat that the committee had no authority to impose an international language, but they had received assurances from Couturat that Esperanto would be chosen anyway. The members of the Committee were:
The committee heard from representatives of language projects, including Italian mathematician Guiseppe Peano in support of his own Latino sine Flexione
. Esperanto was represented by Louis de Beaufront
, an active supporter of the language. Other languages, such as Bolak
, Spokil
and Idiom Neutral
received the attention of the committee.
Towards the end of the Committee's meeting, committee members received a proposal by an anonymous author identified as "Ido" (I.D. in Esperanto, possibly for Internacia Delegacio International Delegation, but also meaning "offspring" in Esperanto). The proposal reformed Esperanto in a number of ways, including removing circumflexed letters, dropping the mandatory accusative ending and reforming the plural. The reforms were endorsed by Esperanto's representative, de Beaufront
.
The decision of the committee was to adopt Esperanto in principle, but with the reforms spelled out by Ido. A permanent commission was set up to see the implementation of the reforms. The anonymous "Ido", author of the reform project, was later revealed to be Louis de Beaufront, acting in concert with Louis Couturat
.
A number of Esperantists did migrate to the movement, including a number of influential leaders of the movement, but most ordinary speakers did not support the Ido reforms. This prompted the observation from outsiders that the Idists were generals without an army, and the Esperantists were an army with no generals. Less than a year later, the Universala Esperanto-Asocio was created to provide stronger leadership within the Esperanto movement, which had not received organizational guidance from its inventor, Dr. Zamenhof. While Esperantists have little regard for the Delegation and its decisions, partisans of Ido continue to insist that the Delegation Committee was legitimate. The Ido language
even today still has a following.
The Encyclopedia of Esperanto
summarizes the Esperantists' position as follows:
International auxiliary language
An international auxiliary language or interlanguage is a language meant for communication between people from different nations who do not share a common native language...
should be chosen for international use. The ultimate decision of the committee charged by the Delegation was to adopt the Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
language, but with certain reforms. The result became a distinct language known as Ido
Ido
Ido is a constructed language created with the goal of becoming a universal second language for speakers of different linguistic backgrounds as a language easier to learn than ethnic languages...
.
Creation
The Delegation was founded in 1901 by FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
academics Louis Couturat
Louis Couturat
Louis Couturat was a French logician, mathematician, philosopher, and linguist.-Life:Born in Ris-Orangis, Essonne, France, he was educated in philosophy and mathematics at the École Normale Supérieure...
and Leopold Leau
Léopold Leau
Léopold Leau was a French mathematician, primarily known for his many well-documented ties to international auxiliary languages....
, who had noted the language difficulties arising among international bodies convening during the 1900 World's Fair
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Working with European esperantists, they gathered support for the Delegation from professional societies, companies, and universities.
Among the chief aims of the Delegation were to select a language to be taught alongside "natural languages" and allow written and spoken communication in an international environment. Three conditions were laid out for the language to be chosen:
- It must be capable of serving the needs of science, in addition to everyday life, commerce and general communication,
- It must be able to be easily learned by all people of average education, and especially those of the civilized nations of Europe, and
- It must not be a living language.
In June 1907, the Delegation convened and refused to decide the ultimate issue, but rather, at Couturat's insistence, created a committee to make the decision.
The Committee
The Delegation Committee arranged to meet in Paris in October 1907. Supporters of EsperantoEsperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
, including its author L.L. Zamenhof, warned Couturat that the committee had no authority to impose an international language, but they had received assurances from Couturat that Esperanto would be chosen anyway. The members of the Committee were:
- Manuel BarriosManuel BarriosManuel Antonio Barrios was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and Florida Marlins. He pitched in 5 games during the 1997 & 1998 seasons.-External links:...
, President of the Peruvian Senate - Baudouin de Courtenay, Professor of Linguistics, University of St. Petersburg
- Emile BoiracÉmile BoiracÉmile Boirac was a French philosopher, parapsychologist, promoter of Esperanto and writer.-Biography:...
, University of Dijon, author and Esperanto supporter known for the phrase déjà vuDéjà vuDéjà vu is the experience of feeling sure that one has already witnessed or experienced a current situation, even though the exact circumstances of the prior encounter are uncertain and were perhaps imagined... - Charles Bouchard, Professor, Paris College of Medicine
- Roland Eotvos, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
- Wilhelm FörsterWilhelm Julius FoersterWilhelm Julius Foerster was a German astronomer, father of the pacifist and ethicist Friedrich Wilhelm Foerster. His name can also be written Förster, but is usually written "Foerster" even in most German sources where 'ö' is otherwise used in the text.A native of Grünberg, Silesia, he worked as...
, President of the International Committee for Weights and MeasuresInternational Committee for Weights and MeasuresThe Interglobal Committee for Weights and Measures is the English name of the Comité international des poids et mesures . It consists of eighteen persons from Member States of the Metre Convention... - Col. George HarveyGeorge Brinton McClellan HarveyGeorge Brinton McClellan Harvey was an American diplomat, journalist, author, administrator for electric rail construction and owner and editor of several newspapers, all positions that brought him great wealth....
, Esperanto supporter and editor of the North American Review - Otto JespersenOtto JespersenJens Otto Harry Jespersen or Otto Jespersen was a Danish linguist who specialized in the grammar of the English language.He was born in Randers in northern Jutland and attended Copenhagen University, earning degrees in English, French, and Latin...
, philologist, University of Copenhagen - S. Lambros, University of Athens
- C. Le Paige, University of Liege
- Wilhelm OstwaldWilhelm OstwaldFriedrich Wilhelm Ostwald was a Baltic German chemist. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1909 for his work on catalysis, chemical equilibria and reaction velocities...
, University of Leipzig, future Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner (chemistry) - Hugo SchuchardtHugo SchuchardtHugo Ernst Mario Schuchardt was an eminent linguist, best known for his work in the Romance languages, the Basque language, and in mixed languages, including pidgins, creoles, and the Lingua franca of the Mediterranean.-In Germany:Schuchardt grew up in Gotha...
, University of Graz.
The committee heard from representatives of language projects, including Italian mathematician Guiseppe Peano in support of his own Latino sine Flexione
Latino sine Flexione
Latino sine flexione , or Peano’s Interlingua , is an international auxiliary language invented by the Italian mathematician Giuseppe Peano in 1903. It is a simplified version of Latin, and retains its vocabulary...
. Esperanto was represented by Louis de Beaufront
Louis de Beaufront
Marquis Louis de Beaufront was a major influence in the development of Ido, an international auxiliary language. Beaufront was initially an advocate of Esperanto and was largely responsible for its early diffusion in western Europe as well as one of its first French proponents.Much of Beaufront's...
, an active supporter of the language. Other languages, such as Bolak
Bolak (Blue Language)
Bolak is a constructed language that was invented by Léon Bollack. The name of the language means both `blue language' and `ingenious creation' in the language itself.-History:...
, Spokil
Spokil
Spokil is a constructed language, created by the Frenchman Adolphe Nicolas.During the 1880s, the most popular international auxiliary language was undeniably Volapük. However, after a brief period of overwhelming success, rivalry on the part of the more practical and less complicated Esperanto led...
and Idiom Neutral
Idiom Neutral
Idiom Neutral is an international auxiliary language, published in 1902 by the International Academy of the Universal Language under the leadership of Waldemar Rosenberger, a St...
received the attention of the committee.
Towards the end of the Committee's meeting, committee members received a proposal by an anonymous author identified as "Ido" (I.D. in Esperanto, possibly for Internacia Delegacio International Delegation, but also meaning "offspring" in Esperanto). The proposal reformed Esperanto in a number of ways, including removing circumflexed letters, dropping the mandatory accusative ending and reforming the plural. The reforms were endorsed by Esperanto's representative, de Beaufront
Louis de Beaufront
Marquis Louis de Beaufront was a major influence in the development of Ido, an international auxiliary language. Beaufront was initially an advocate of Esperanto and was largely responsible for its early diffusion in western Europe as well as one of its first French proponents.Much of Beaufront's...
.
The decision of the committee was to adopt Esperanto in principle, but with the reforms spelled out by Ido. A permanent commission was set up to see the implementation of the reforms. The anonymous "Ido", author of the reform project, was later revealed to be Louis de Beaufront, acting in concert with Louis Couturat
Louis Couturat
Louis Couturat was a French logician, mathematician, philosopher, and linguist.-Life:Born in Ris-Orangis, Essonne, France, he was educated in philosophy and mathematics at the École Normale Supérieure...
.
Aftermath
The commission delivered an ultimatum to the Esperanto Language Committee, the nearest approximate to a governing body of the Esperanto movement at the time. A response was demanded in one month, but this was logistically impossible as members of the Language Committee spread out all over Europe and beyond. After a month passed with no response, the commission broke relations with the Esperantists.A number of Esperantists did migrate to the movement, including a number of influential leaders of the movement, but most ordinary speakers did not support the Ido reforms. This prompted the observation from outsiders that the Idists were generals without an army, and the Esperantists were an army with no generals. Less than a year later, the Universala Esperanto-Asocio was created to provide stronger leadership within the Esperanto movement, which had not received organizational guidance from its inventor, Dr. Zamenhof. While Esperantists have little regard for the Delegation and its decisions, partisans of Ido continue to insist that the Delegation Committee was legitimate. The Ido language
Ido
Ido is a constructed language created with the goal of becoming a universal second language for speakers of different linguistic backgrounds as a language easier to learn than ethnic languages...
even today still has a following.
The Encyclopedia of Esperanto
Encyclopedia of Esperanto
Encyclopedia of Esperanto may refer to three different attempts of creating an encyclopedia of all Esperanto topics...
summarizes the Esperantists' position as follows:
- La "Delegitaro" estis unu-homa afero, sen kunvenoj aŭ difinita regularo. La unu klara regulo, ke aŭtoroj de lingvoprojekto ne rajtas partopreni, estis rompita. El la 12 membroj de la komitato nur du estis lingvistoj, kaj nur 4 partoprenis; oni aldonis nomojn de anstataŭantoj aŭ novaj membroj sen rajtigo. La fina rezolucio estis voĉdonita de nur tri el la 12 plus 4 anstataŭantaj kaj la sekretarioj. Oni sendis al la L. K. 25 kopiojn de la projekto, por disdoni ilin inter 100 membroj de la L. K. (loĝantaj ankaŭ ekster Eŭropo) kaj postulis respondon post unu monato.
- The "Delegation" was a one-man enterprise, without meetings or a definitive set of rules. The one clear rule, that authors of language projects have no right to participate, was broken. Of the 12 members of the committee, only two were linguists, and only four participated; they added names of substitutes or new members without permission. The final resolution was voted upon by only three of the twelve plus four substitutes and the secretaries. They sent to the L.K. (Esperanto Language Committee) 25 copies of the project, to distribute among its 100 members (some of whom were living outside of Europe) and demanded a response in one month.
See also
- EsperantidoEsperantidoEsperantido is the term used within the Esperanto and constructed language communities to describe a language project based on or inspired by Esperanto. Esperantido originally referred to the language of that name, which later came to be known as Ido. The word Esperantido is derived from Esperanto...
- Esperanto and Ido comparedEsperanto and Ido comparedThis article attempts to highlight the main differences between Esperanto and Ido, two constructed languages that have a related past but have since parted ways...
- Criticism of Esperanto