<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
Hot off the presses:<br>
<br>
Hagège Claude. <i>On the Death and Life of Languages</i>; translated
by Jody Gladding. <br>
New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009.<br>
<br>
There are references to Esperanto and artificial languages on pp. 6-10
and 297-298. The author opposes one Dezso Koszlolanyi who levies the
usual accusations against artificial languages. Hagège defends
Esperanto (9), refuting the claim that it is cold, lifeless and
inexpressive. Later in the book (297-9) the author compares the fates
of Israeli Hebrew and Esperanto, suggesting that Hebrew is more solidly
rooted historically and socially than Esperanto, whose composite
character and internationalist aspirations lack the same force.<br>
<br>
Hagège is concerned throughout with the constant disappearance of
languages and the issue of preserving them. Interesting, he suggests
(p. 330) that the Internet may weaken the hegemony of English and
strengthen the position and preservation of minority and endangered
languages, e.g. Yiddish. He also says that linguistic nationalism is a
two-edged sword (332), though I don't recall an elaboration on this
point. French is #2 in the world language pecking order, English's
closest rival in terms of influence. I think perhaps here he intends
to avoid indulging in French chauvinism, while warning that English is
the number one danger to the survival of other languages.<br>
<br>
I didn't have the time to check out what else he has to say in between
the covers, but I noticed that Chapter 2 deals with vitalism as a
philosophical current in the assessment of language, i.e. the organic
metaphor applied to language. Since I find all organic metaphors
suspect, I should read more about this sometime.<br>
<br>
A couple years back I attended a talk--it may have been at NSF--on this
very question. There's a whole web site devoted to the project of
language preservation; I have my notes somewhere. The speaker mentioned
Esperanto at some point, but I've lost the relevant brain cells
containing the details of this experience.<br>
</body>
</html>