Volapük

• Constructed language plan language World auxiliary language

Vo

Vol

Vol

Volapük is a mixed posteriori plan language that was created and introduced in 1879 or 1880 by the priest Johann Martin Schleyer.

• 4.1 Our Father in Volapük
• 4.2 Volapük anthem
• 4.3 the beginning of John's Gospel

• 5.1 case
• 5.2 Word formation 5.2.1 Adjectives
• 5.2.2 Nouns
• 5.2.3 cardinal numbers
• 5.2.4 Verb forms

History

Precursor

After Solresol 1817 or 1856 Volapük was the second plan language at all, the significant spread has been found. How Solresol it forms in its aspects a subject of research in interlinguistics.

Formation

Schleyer's Volapük idea to once in a dream, another time explained by an incorrect address in English, had not arrived by a letter. German, English, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian - - to construct a mixed language First Schleyer, from six European languages ​​tried. This he wanted to give the name " Völkerdolmetsch ". However, since a common understanding among the different peoples presupposes a common case, it tried Schleyer first with the establishment of a " world alphabet " (18 January 1878).

Achievements

The first attempts to present Volapük the public, can be found in the published by Schleyer "Sion harp ", month leaves for Catholic poetry. First ( March 1879 ) was Schleyer in samples of his world alphabet. In May of the same year appeared as a supplement to the " design of a world language, and world grammar for the educated of all the peoples of the earth." This design brought the principles and first words. The first sample set was:

Ko God beginobsöd dinis Valik!

Initially the language was quite successful. Were formed Volapük companies in Europe, which spread to North and South America and even some parts of Asia. After a few years Volapük had allegedly more than 100,000 followers - whether this but the language really mastered is uncertain. There was loud Kniele, p 69, but end of 1888 at least 885 qualified Volapük teacher.

The stenographer Karl Lenze from Eisleben was Schleyer's first student and received the first diploma as a world language teacher.

In 1880, the first grammar appeared with dictionary. The new language now received the name " Volapük ", formed of the words world and speak. So called Volapük language in the world or a world language. In the February number of the "Sion harp ", which initially served as an organ for Volapük, appeared as the first verse the motto "One man - one language":

Menade bal Püki bal!

A year after the invention of Volapük grammar was published under the title Volapük, the world language, design a universal language for all educated people all over the world. Author: JM Schleyer, editor of the "Sion harp ". This grammar appeared in Sigmaringen and also contained a dictionary of 2,780 words. Influential newspapers published recommending products. The "Luxemburger Wort" compared the importance of the so-called " world language " for all humanity with the importance of the Universal Postal and concludes with the following admonition:

May the entire civilized human world as one of its most important, the most reasonable and greatest tasks, yes regarded as one of its most beautiful things Honor, Schleyer world language without delay to appropriate it, they generally distribute and introduce!

Schleyer soon decided to publish an own world language sheet. From 1 January 1881, the " world language leaf Volapükabled " appeared. The first issue contained Grammatical Metallic, a letter, a number of companies, industries, institutions which have been recommended; then comparative sentences in 20 different languages ​​with text in Volapük next.

Otto Büchler from Öhringen held in a humanistic teacher meeting in Heilbronn a lecture, which is considered the first lecture on Volapük, and closed with an expression of joy that it was a German who had provided the impetus for a world language.

1882 began Kamerer J. Hyberg in Swedish Ankarsrum on to learn Volapük and founded an association under the name: Första svenska verldsspråkkluben " Volapükaflens svedik " with 9 members, but which made ​​no further progress, although he gave a lot of effort, Volapük in Sweden introduce.

The First World Language Club was founded the same year by Rupert Kniele in the village Alberweiler at Biberach. The year 1884 can be considered as the year of meetings. Schleyer was at this time very sick and was looking for a Volapükwort for " envy ", which did not exist at that time. He said to Rupert Kniele, who visited him:

Oh that, I like to know anything, I would to God we needed no such word; I'm not making the same thing, you make it.

Kniele created then the word " Gloet ".

From 25 to 28 August 1884, the first General Assembly was held at the Kursaal of Lake Constance Friedrichshafen. The word " Volapük " was declared by this Assembly as a neuter, while previously the " Volapük " said. In March 1885, Schleyer turned against the so-called " improvers ", which he regarded as the source of any differences.

Beginning in 1887 wrote the " Düsseldorf indicator ":

If Schleyer now wanted to halt the Volapükbewegung stop, so it would be unsuccessful. For hundreds of thousands have taken up the idea in itself and stand up for him, as for their own cause.

Scientific authorities such as the linguist Friedrich Max Müller and the geographer Alfred Kirchhoff now in favor of Volapük. The French journal " Le Temps " wrote on January 16, 1887

Si jamais une langue universal a chance de quelque s'imposer au monde commercial, c'est assurément celle -là " ( Volapük ). ( German: If ever had a universal language a chance to prevail in the business world, this is it. )

The " Cologne People's Daily " wrote on February 11, 1887 at all:

We learn that to leading positions in Germany the world's linguistic movement with Ernst and participation will be followed.

In May 1887, the " Association française " international exams held, at which over 300 people participating from all over the world. The first diploma as " plofed " (Professor of World Language ) was the director of the business school in Bucharest. From 6 to 9 August, the 2nd Congress of all world language friends was held in Munich.

Beginning of 1888 looked Schleyer caused his rights to assert as an inventor. Schleyer introduced the name " CIFAL ", as which he was also recognized by the 2nd General Assembly in Munich. His residence was considered a central point for all Volapükisten the earth. The single line was done by Schleyer's monthly organ, the " Volapükabled zenodik " ( " Zentralblatt the world language "). The residence of the inventor in Konstanz was considered a " Central Bureau of Schleyer'schen world language ".

The " CIFAL " were the Senators ( senätans ) to the side. These senators Schleyer chose at its discretion. In all, he wanted to select 100 senators.

In the same year 1888 Volapük was introduced in China and Japan. At the end of the first decade (1888 ) there were 885 world language teachers, 190 senior teacher ( löpitidel ), 50 professors ( plofed ). Worldwide, the number of Volapük - trailer was estimated at 1 to 2 million. Rates were issued to 272 places and there were 253 clubs that are dedicated for Volapük (according Kniele, p 69).

The British philologist Alexander Ellis mentions in his writings a Chicago girl named Corinne Cohn, who grew up with Volapük. It was the daughter of Volapük activists Henry Cohn and six years old in 1888. However, there are no further reports of him.

Decline

Over time, Volapük proved to be too difficult to learn in order to be successful long term. The vocabulary was indeed taken from various European languages ​​, but the individual words have been changed so much in part that they were barely recognizable.

Another burden for the emergence of a vibrant Volapüks was that Schleyer was trying to keep control of his language and the Volapük Academy to rule autocratically. So he reserved the right to introduce new vocabulary and an absolute veto right example as Datuval ( = " Great Inventors ").

After established in 1889, on the third Volapük congress in Paris Volapük Academy had demanded some reforms that rejected Schleyer, began the rapid decline of the Volapüks. Reform attempts as the idiom Neutral found no feed.

As early as the mid-1880s returned first Volapük Pendant language the back and left the world language movement. 1888 joined the Nuremberg Volapük Club over to Esperanto. Volapük came quickly out of fashion.

In the aftermath of the First World War, the Dutchman Arie de Jong began with a complete review of vocabulary and grammar. In 1929, he met with members of the still existing Volapük Academy and the Volapük - President, the so-called Cifal. After this revised version has been accepted, he published at the beginning of the 1930s a new Leitgrammatik and a dictionary for model Volapük - German and German - Volapük.

Importance

At present there are only a few people dominate the Volapük. The importance of Volapük is that for the first time a new language did not remain a mere project, but has been used by a speech community.

Volapük has the ISO -639 - vo and abbreviations vol.

Chronology

Cifals

" Cifal " ( boss) was the title that is Schleyer was passed as the head of the Volapük movement. The title " Cifal " was continued in unbroken succession from Schleyer to the present day. His successors to this day were or are:

Due to the small number of speakers Brian Bishop had difficulty in finding a successor only. Finally the German Hermann Philipps from Bonn was determined as the following Cifal.

Reception

The Swede Nylén Paul described his impression of the Volapük after he had joined another language project plan, in retrospect, as follows:

Volapük alphabet

The Volapük alphabet consists of 27 letters:

Most letters are pronounced as in English. Deviations are only available from:

• C = voiceless ch [ tʃ ] (or voiced dsch [ dʒ ] ): cil [ tʃil ] = child (from the English " child" [ tʃaɪld ] )
• J = voiceless sh [ ʃ ] ( sh or voiced [ ʒ ] ): jad [ ʃad ] = shade (from the English " shadow" [ ʃædəʊ ] )
• V = w [v ]: vin [ vin ] = wine (from the English "wine " [ waɪn ], [ v] < [ w] )
• Y = j [j ]: yag [ jag ] = hunting

Examples

Volapük is an agglutinative language, that is, words get by appending prefixes and suffixes have different meanings:

Our Father in Volapük

Volapük anthem

The text of the Volapükhymne comes from Franz Zorell, the melody of Schleyer.

Volapükahüm fa Zorell F. Sumolsöd stäni blodäla! Dikodi Valik hetobs; Tönöls jüli baladäla Volapüke kosyubobs, Vokobsöz ko datuval " Menade bal, bal püki! "

Translation

Peace, to cultivate brother sense Eintracht sense is our banner! Shout for joy to receive this work! " A language " calls with me " Applies in all the world! " That was striving our League!

Beginning of John's Gospel

Grammar

In Twelfth band of Pierers conversational lexicon from 1883, a brief introduction is under the heading " Volapük " given in the grammar of this language plan:

Volapük invented v. the priest John Martin Schleyer in Konstanz. After the von Leibniz to establish, among other attempts made, a world language (qv), had failed, Schleyer tried the same goal through the use of English to achieve. The today spoken English he explained to want to simplify as possible; Accordingly, it makes the world (the world) vol u of speech ( language ) Puek composed Volapük, world language. Similarly, he simplified the grammar in the Flexionslehre: only one declension, conjugation should only be present in the world language. The genitive is formed by the suffix a (hence vol -a- Puek ), the dative by the suffix e, the accusative by -i; in the plural, this is still the suffix -s together. Accordingly, ie father, Eng. father, in V. fat, gene. fata, gene. Plural of the fathers Fatas, the fathers fates. The adjective fatherly, Eng. fatherly, is formed by appending the syllable -ik: Fatik. The personal pronouns are denominated in the singular whether ( I ) ol ( du), om (s), ie in Pural: obs, ol, oms. The conjugation of the verb is in the attachment of these pronouns prefixed ä forms the past tense, the future tense o, p prefixed the passive voice, for example pälöfol, you were loved.

Case

Morphology

In compound words ( compound words ), the base word is at the end:

Adjectives

Adjectives ( adjectives ) always end with ik:

Nouns

Of the nouns eyes and ears are the verbs logön [ Logon] ( = see) and lilön [ Lilon ] ( = hear ) is derived.

Cardinal numbers

The basic numbers begin and end in a consonant with a vowel. Final consonant is always a " l". Note the order of the vowels (a, e, i, o, u, ä, ö, ü); Only if " 7" is inserted again a "e". In Schleyer between Volapük the tens were formed with the plural -s: 10 bals, 20 by means of, 30 kils etc. balsebal 11, 12 balsetel, 13 balsekil etc. It was only in the large Volapükreform by Arie de Jong with the introduction of the word " deg " a word for ten and the formation of the ten series introduced.

Folbalion jöltumveldegmälmil kiltumteldegzül = 4876329

" Five large trees " is in Volapük " bims gretik lul ".

Verb forms

The passive forms of the verbs are formed by prefixing setting the consonants "p" and a vowel. Here shown using the verb " Lof " ( = love, derived from the English word "love" ):

Criticism

The meaningful differences are often very small, so that many words are difficult to tell apart.

R and L The sounds ö ( [ ø ] ) and u ( [y ] ) are difficult to pronounce for a large part of the people, although the project author Johann Martin Schleyer, the " rolled " tongue tips -R ( [r ] ) eliminated from his plan language to the Chinese to facilitate access to Volapük.

What remained of Volapük, was reformed in the 1920s by the Dutchman Arie de Jong, who introduced the letter R again. He justified this step so that the Japanese had with the L difficulties.

Vocabulary Internationalisms missing or are so disfigured that they are no longer recognizable. Although a large part of the vocabulary is taken from the English, but many words ( " Puek " for example) is just for native speakers of English only difficult to pronounce due to the special characters contained therein.

Even the native speakers of English will not come without noting that, for example, the word " Flender " for friend from the English word " friend" is derived.

Transferred use of the term

In Danish, the word volapyk today synonymous with (deliberately ) incomprehensible (specialist Chinese, elitist gibberish ) is used - or even in the sense of ' nonsense ': Det he det rene volapyk ( lit., 'This is the purest Volapük ') means as much as, I understand only station '. Similarly, it has Erich Kästner used in his sarcastic poem so-called class women.

In Esperanto is volapukaĵo ( " in Volapük Redacted " ) " unintelligible " is also used in meaning.

In Kurt Tucholsky's satire The Loew ' Run ( 1929) is referred to as the Russian Volapük the animals. It will not go into more detail about what's underneath to understand exactly.

With the name Wolapjuk (Russian кодировка " волапюк " kodirowka " wolapjuk " = encoding " Volapük " '; english " Volapuk " encoding ) which is now known in Slavic languages ​​, the ( unofficial) transliteration of Cyrillic letters on computer systems with western Latin alphabet, such in chat or instant messaging, for example, in the following form: СОВЕТСКИЙ СОЮЗ (Cyrillic) = COBETCKIJ COJY3 (Latin ) in this sense Volapük also plays in William Gibson's " source Code" a role.