Re: Hogben about esperanto

Hi David,

You can get the complete interview at the following URL :

http:= //www3.sympatico.ca/mlgr/chomsky.pdf

As I understand him, Chomsky says Esp= eranto works only because it parasites european languages (like a software= on an operating system, I would say). It works only if we know one or mor= e natural languages from indo-european tradition. Its implicit and unsaid r= ules are based on a prior knowledge of a living linguistic universe. I sup= pose that with Glosa the problem is more complex, but nevertheless similar= .

At my opinion, that is not related to the possibility or the impossibil= ity of a “cultural” life in esperanto.

Michel Legare (ML) Canada

— = In glosalist@yahoogroups.com, “David” <daveyporter@…> wrote:

Hello ML=

The original publication by Lancelot Hogben was a Pelican book fir= st published in 1943 by Penguin books called “Interglossa” - there are sti= ll copies out there being sold by inet second hand booksellers. The publ= ication in question is aimed at linguists and the book is very technical (= for me anyway). However there are some interesting sections. As far as = I know Hogben’s criticism of Esperanto was that there was a) surfeitt of gr= ammatical rules b) excessive number of essential words which the beginner= has to memorize c) intrinsic unfamiliarity of the words themselves - I q= uote from the book. He also wrote (regarding the “unnecessarily large vo= cabulary) that there was a “need for semantic spring-cleaning”.
We= ndy Ashby - who publishes PGN (as you are probably aware) - would probably = be able to shed more light on this. I was unaware of Chomsky’s commen= t regarding auxiliary languages but have had discussions with others who t= ake the line that an auxiliary language cannot succeed because “it has no = soul” - meaning that it has no cultural background - for me that is
irrel= evant. Language is about communication and the pressing need for the worl= d’s peoples is for us to be able to communicate with one another easily a= nd without misunderstanding. The reason why the ruling class do not promo= te an international language is probably because they do not want too much= communication among the world’s workers who may get together and demand a= n end to the insanity of this obscene
economic system called capitalism t= hat they administer. Regards, David.

—– Origin=

al Message —–

From: ML

To: glosalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent=

Sunday, September 28, 2008 10:02 PM Subject: [glosalist] Hogben about= esperanto

Hi,

First, I apologize for my unskilful active = use of English. I am going to do my best. Sorry, I cannot use Glosa y= et :-)

But, I am a former user of esperanto. I gave up esperanto for= some ideological, personal and technical reasons… Glosa seems to m= e much more interesting as an auxiliary langage for humanity. What wa= s the Hogben’s opinion about esperanto ?

What is your opinion about = Chomsky’s declaration that esperanto (as any other constructed langua= ge) is not a language ? It seems that the text of the interview with Chomsk= y is no more available on the web, but any of you who would like a PD= F copy, can ask to me.

ML

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