Edgar de Wahl
Encyclopedia
Edgar von Wahl or Edgar de Wahl (born August 11, 1867 in Olwiopol, Russian Empire
(now Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv Oblast
, Ukraine
); died in 1948 in Estonia
) was a teacher and creator of the language Occidental
. An Estonian of ethnic Baltic German
origin, he studied in Saint Petersburg
and spent most of his later professional life in Tallinn
, Estonia.
At first an adherent of Volapük
, de Wahl later became one of the first users of Esperanto
and advised Ludwig Zamenhof on some points of grammar
and vocabulary of that language. After several years he abandoned Esperanto, and in the following decades he worked on the problem of the ideal form of an international auxiliary language
.
In 1922 he published a "key" to a new language, Occidental, and the first number of a periodical entitled Kosmoglott (later Cosmoglotta), written in that language. In following years, de Wahl participated in discussions about Occidental, and allowed the language to develop gradually as a result of the recommendations of its users. After World War II
started in 1939, he had only intermittent contacts with the Occidentalist movement, which had become centered in Switzerland
. He became a member of the Committee of Linguistic Advisors, part of the International Auxiliary Language Association
, which would present Interlingua
in 1951.
The last years of his life were spent in a sanatorium in Estonia, where he died in 1948.
The name of Occidental was changed to Interlingue in 1949. Today, the language is again most often called Occidental.
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
(now Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv Oblast
Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv Oblast
Pervomaisk is a city in Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine and the center of the Pervomaiskyi Raion. It is located on the Southern Bug river which bisects the city...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
); died in 1948 in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
) was a teacher and creator of the language Occidental
Occidental language
The language Occidental, later Interlingue, is a planned language created by the Balto-German naval officer and teacher Edgar de Wahl and published in 1922....
. An Estonian of ethnic Baltic German
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
origin, he studied in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
and spent most of his later professional life in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Estonia.
At first an adherent of Volapük
Volapük
Volapük is a constructed language, created in 1879–1880 by Johann Martin Schleyer, a Roman Catholic priest in Baden, Germany. Schleyer felt that God had told him in a dream to create an international language. Volapük conventions took place in 1884 , 1887 and 1889 . The first two conventions used...
, de Wahl later became one of the first users of 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...
and advised Ludwig Zamenhof on some points of grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
and vocabulary of that language. After several years he abandoned Esperanto, and in the following decades he worked on the problem of the ideal form of an international auxiliary language
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...
.
In 1922 he published a "key" to a new language, Occidental, and the first number of a periodical entitled Kosmoglott (later Cosmoglotta), written in that language. In following years, de Wahl participated in discussions about Occidental, and allowed the language to develop gradually as a result of the recommendations of its users. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started in 1939, he had only intermittent contacts with the Occidentalist movement, which had become centered in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He became a member of the Committee of Linguistic Advisors, part of the International Auxiliary Language Association
International Auxiliary Language Association
The International Auxiliary Language Association was founded in 1924 to "promote widespread study, discussion and publicity of all questions involved in the establishment of an auxiliary language, together with research and experiment that may hasten such establishment in an intelligent manner and...
, which would present Interlingua
Interlingua
Interlingua is an international auxiliary language , developed between 1937 and 1951 by the International Auxiliary Language Association...
in 1951.
The last years of his life were spent in a sanatorium in Estonia, where he died in 1948.
The name of Occidental was changed to Interlingue in 1949. Today, the language is again most often called Occidental.
See also
- De Wahl's ruleDe Wahl's ruleThe de Wahl's Rule is a rule of word formation, developed by the Balto-German naval officer and teacher Edgar de Wahl and applied in the artificial language Interlingue which was also his creation....