English (Inglés):
I always thought Esperanto have to be the language which the nations use to this international relations, but now we know english is this language, thanks the americans films and songs, and internet. Chinesse is the language more talked in the world, English like second language, and Castilian the third. Why the people dont use the chinesse?.
In Europe the language more use is French, because in France, Luxemburg, Belgium, part of Holland speak it.
In the past, the official language was the french, but now, the official language is English, why? I wanna know... English is other language, like french or Greek, or italian, or castilian, or portuguese or flamenco... all this language (except greek) have a similar things... they are latin languages or similar.
I suppose EEUU (USA) is the richer country in the world, the official language in USA is english, then, the language for the bussiness is the english... the people then speak in english...
Well I think then, we must learn Latin like the past, or better, we must learn an only language, I say Esperanto is the best, but... I'm just an european citizen, I dont choose this stuff.

Castellano (Castilian):
Yo siempre pensé que el Esperanto tenía que haber sido la lengua que las naciones deberían haber usado para sus relaciones internacionales, pero ahora nosotros sabemos que es el inglés la lengua usada, gracias sobre todo a las películas, canciones americanas, y a internet. El chino es la lengua más hablada en el mundo, el inglés la segunda y el castellano la tercera. ¿Porque entonces la gente no usa el chino?
Supongo que al ser estado unidos el pais más rico del mundo, al ser la lengua oficial de allí el inglés, entonces la lengua más usada para los negocios es el inglés... la gente entonces habla en inglés.
En Europa la lengua más usada es el francés, porque en francia, Luxemburgo, Bélgica, y parte de Holanda se habla.
En el pasado, la lengua oficial fue el francés, pero ahora, la lengua oficial es el inglés... ¿porque?, quiero saberlo... el inglés es otra lengua, como el francés, el griego, el italiano, el castellano, el portugués, el flamenco... todas estas lengual (a excepción del griego) tienen en común que provienen en gran parte del latín.
Bien, Yo creo que nosotros debemos aprender el latín como en el pasado (es una broma, espero que no, que´l latín è un coñazo), o mehò deberíamos aprender una sola lengua... no se el esperanto es la mehò ¿no creeis?, pero (como dicen en mi tierra) ¿que le amò a jaser? solo somò siudadano europeò, no ejcogemò esà cozas. (nota esto es andaluz)

Andaluz(We speak it in the south of Spain)
(Este es un andaluz universal, no el p*to sevillano)
(this is an universal andaluz, no the stupid sevillan)

Yo sempre pensé que'l Ejperanto tenía cabè sio la lengua que là nasionè deberían habé usao pa su relasionè intesnasionalè, pero ahora nojotro sabemo
ques el inglé la lengua usa, grasia sobre to a la pinícula, cansione americana, (menos mal que no e er p*to flamenco de kk)y a intesne. El chino e la lengua má habla der mundo, el inglé la segunda y er castellano la tersera. ¿Porque entonse la gente no usa el chino?
Supongo cal se ló unit esteit er pai má rico der mundo, al se la lengua oficia dallí er inglé, entonses la lengua má usa pa lo negosio e er inglé... la gente entonse habla en inglé.
In Uropa la lengua má usa e el francé, poque en fransia, Lusemburgo, Bérgica, y parte de Holanda se habla.
En er pasao, la lengua oficia fue er fransé, pero ahora, la lengua oficia e er inglé... ¿porque?, quiero sabeslo... er inglé e otra lengua, comol fransé, er griego, er italiano, er (p.t. castellano), er portugué, er flamenco... toda esta lengua (a esepsión der griego) tienen común que provienen en gran parte del latín.
Bien, Yo creo que nosotros debemos aprender el latín como en el pasado (es una broma, espero que no, que´l latín è un coñazo), o mehò deberíamos aprender una sola lengua... no se el esperanto es la mehò ¿no creeis?, pero (como dicen en mi tierra) ¿que le amò a jaser? solo somò siudadano europeò, no ejcogemò esà cozas. (nota esto es andaluz)

SHAIDE

Because there's a big difference between a language that is spoken by many people and a language that is wide-spread. Just because there are a lot of Chinese people who speak Chinese, doesn't mean there are people in all countries that understand Chinese. To be a global language, it is not necessary for a language to have many people speak it as a first language, it is necessary that many people KNOW it, doesn't mater whether it's their mother tongue or not.
And the fact that English is the first global language has nothing to do with American movies and songs - that is just a part of the reason why it's STILL a global language and hasn't been replaced by another one. The reason why it was widespread enough to become a global language in the first place has nothing to do with America and everything with the colonisation practices of the Great Empire the UK.


Sorry mate, you've been misinformed. We don't speak French in Holland (The Netherlands), not even in part of it. We get taught French at school, yes, but also English and German. And I wouldn't say the language used most, or understood by most people, in Europe is French - don't forget English and German.

I've no idea what you mean by official language. Trade language? Most commonly understood language? We've never *had* an official language for all of Europe, let alone for all the world.
About Greek, French, Italian etc being Latin languages - I assume you mean Roman languages? Yes, that's correct, but what is your point? English derives to a large extent from French/Latin roots, even though it's a Germanic language. And both Roman (French, Portuguese, Latin, etc) and Germanic (Dutch, Swedish, German, English) languages ultimately derive from the same source: they're all Indo-European languages.


Like I said, it has little to do with the US, but with the UK.
If England hadn't rejected Catholicism and created their own church, perhaps they would have been swallowed up by Catholic Spain and the world would be a different place now. But it's not so. And I don't see how that is a problem, in any way.

Esperanto is a failed project anyway - it would be ridiculous to force everybody to learn a made-up language instead of a natural one, when history has lead to many people speaking English anyway. Why this need to change the status quo? There are several European languages that stood a chance of becoming our global language in the colonisation period. In fact Dutch could have just as easily become America's first language. But English was the one that succeeded. So what?

Edited to correct spelling mistake. I left "mater" for "matter" though, thought that was a cool unintended pun ;) :D

[ 11-06-2003, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: Melusine ]

The only thing I can add to Melusine's thorough response is that the US doesn't actually have an official language. ;)

BTW, do you speak Chinese?

[ 11-06-2003, 12:48 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

Besides, Chinese are way too complex to be practical. Just imagine trying to type with a Chinese keyboard. As a Chinese (mandarin) speaking person, I would like to see more widespread use of this language but I am afraid it is just to hard to learn (and even harder to master).

[ 11-06-2003, 01:41 PM: Message edited by: Paladin2000 ]

<font color=gold>
Chinese is the most spoken language in the world. China's population represents a fifth of the entire world population! DUH it's the most spoken language! English is spoken far more on a global base and it's much easier to learn, ask any dutchie [img]tongue.gif[/img]
</font>

Why the chinese language isn't official? Because they have 400 000 letters, which I understand as words, but they don't have letters as A, B, G and the like. Instead they have letters like tree, bog, animal, spirit and these are not counted as words. And it's not the number, it's the number/state, meaning english is the most widespread language in most states after their mother tongue.

I'd have to agree that English has the widest spread (official? says who?) of the modern languages, and you probably have to thank the British for that. At one point in time, "the Sun never set on the British Empire". Today I'd say the media (movies,tv) are doing the most to spread English worldwide. On a related note:


Subject:Control Tower Exchanges
Conversations that passengers normally don't hear.

A Pan Am 727 flight engineer waiting for start clearance in Munich
overheard the following: Lufthansa (in German): Ground, what is our
start clearance time?"
Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak English."
Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in
Germany. Why must I speak English?"
Unknown voice (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the
bloody war!"

Ching gay woh ee bay pee joh

See ? I do speak Chinese. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Isn't this a quote from The Fifth Element?

Isn't this a quote from The Fifth Element? </font>[/QUOTE]Nah, it's a quote from someone in a Chinese boozer. :D