Abstract
“I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse.”
—Attributed to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and, as Charles I, King of Spain (1500–1558) *
Some sources attribute this quotation to Charles V, King of France (1337–1380).
In 1887, ophthalmologist Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof introduced a new invention, designed to improve communication throughout the world. It did not involve telegraphy, telephony, or radio transmission, although it could complement the effectiveness of any of those innovations. Zamenhof's invention was a language, which he christened Esperanto, meaning “one who hopes.” Zamenhof hoped that his creation would further international peace and understanding through communication.
Esperanto was not designed to replace ethnic languages, but to serve as a universal second language. To achieve this goal, Zamenhof tried to eliminate all the peculiarities that made it difficult to learn other languages. Each of Esperanto's 5 vowels and 23 consonants has only 1 sound, making spelling a breeze. There are no exceptions to its 16 grammatical rules, so there are no irregular verbs. The basic vocabulary consists of 900 root words, which are expanded into families using prefixes, suffixes, and combinations. Zamenhof reputedly knew 9 languages himself, so he selected roots that would be familiar to speakers of the most common Indo-European languages of his day.
Because it is an invented language, Esperanto is considered politically neutral, harboring none of the historical associations that might spark resentment and inhibit the spread of a naturally occurring tongue. One might predict that a medium designed to facilitate free communication among people would incite a hostile, repressive reaction from totalitarian governments; sadly, this prediction has been borne out by history. Esperantists, as speakers like to call themselves, have been subjected to harassment and even execution by some of the best known tyrannical regimes of the last century.
After 130 years, Zamenhof's vision of a universal second language is far from fulfillment. The most optimistic point that can be made about Esperanto is that it is still around. Between 1 and 2 million people are estimated to have a working knowledge of the language. As Esperanto-USA puts it, there are not many Esperantists anywhere, but there are some almost everywhere. 1 At least 2 motion pictures have been made in Esperanto, including the 1965 metaphysical horror flick Incubus starring William Shatner. On a higher plane, Pope Benedict XVI is said to include Esperanto in the languages he uses to bless the faithful.
If Esperanto has thus far fallen short of its professed goal of serving as a universal second language, English, for the moment at least, seems to be fulfilling this destiny. Ironically, English is in many ways the antithesis of Esperanto. Its multiple vowel sounds, consonant combinations, and silent letters make pronunciation a challenge and spelling a frustrating exercise in rote memorization. English rules of grammar and syntax are often arcane. The vocabulary is enormous, approaching 1 million words, with liberal doses of old Norse, Norman French, Latin, and Greek, plus a sprinkling of many other languages grafted onto its basic Germanic skeleton. English is often accused of owing its dissemination to colonialism, suppression of indigenous populations, and cultural imperialism. Nevertheless, both despite and because of these features, the use of English has continued to spread. In most cases, however, this extension has been in the manner originally envisioned for Esperanto— not replacing indigenous languages, but serving as a complementary means of communication between different peoples. Countries or regions in which multiple indigenous languages compete for hegemony may find English a convenient and neutral medium for common communication.
Possibly no group has embraced English as a second language as enthusiastically as the world scientific community. Many, if not most, international journals and societies go about their business in English, simultaneous translation into multiple tongues often falling victim to economic exigencies. The progressive linking of all continents via the Internet has further augmented the desirability of an international lingua franca. English, perhaps owing to historical accident more than innate suitability, has fallen into that role. Ironically, native English speakers may suffer the most from this development, as the ease of “getting along” with their own idiom may discourage them from acquiring or maintaining competence in other languages.
At its last meeting, the editorial board of The American Journal of Sports Medicine approved the introduction of a new feature, International Update, designed to help our readers keep abreast of developments in the sports medicine literature that appear in a variety of languages other than English. Every other month, 2 AJSM reviewers will select several important articles that were originally published in another language to share with our readership. In the current issue, Sven Scheffler and Michael Bohnsack summarize 4 recent investigations from the German literature for the enrichment of the international sports medicine community. August's AJSM will feature synopses of several papers that originally appeared in Japanese.
While the declaration of Charles V quoted above might simply be dismissed as the Renaissance prototype for contemporary multiethnic jokes, we can look beyond its stereotyping to find a kernel of hidden truth. Every language has a unique personality that reflects the history and culture of the people who created it. No international second language, whether formed by historical processes or human invention, can take the place of indigenous primary languages in the world. This is true of English itself. Scientific English, which demands simplicity and perfect clarity of meaning, will never replace literary English, full of ambiguity and resonance, or colloquial English, laden with cultural associations and local color. Although a common second language facilitates free communication among scientists, it seems unlikely to supplant the richness and meaning of indigenous languages to their native speakers. We hope that International Update will help to connect readers to the wealth and diversity of sports medicine research being published in a variety of languages around the world.
