Re: OT: For information only !

Philippe Caquant wrote:

>Oops, sorry, still half asleep. I meant that I have
>nothing against English, but I'm afraid there are
>political considerations rising up as to English as
>the international language (well, by "English", one
>should understand "American", of course; strangely
>enough, we don't really care to be regularly treated
>like dirt by tabloids from "the perfid Albion", but
>many of us strongly object to the idea of having to
>speak the same language as our American friends).
>
>
>
Oh, I'm sure your tabloids treat us the same way.  Or I hope so.
Otherwise I'm going to go off feeling guilty.

>Of course, what one wishes and what really happens are
>two very different things, so I think English - or
>American - might very well be tomorrow's Esperanto, if
>it isn't already. It doesn't depend on me. But the
>idea doesn't excite very much.
>
>
>
I agree.  Having everyone speak my language would rather take the fun
out of things.  I want to learn languages.  At least Esperanto would let
me learn at least one.

>I know Esperanto is a very sensible and off-topic
>matter here (in my opinion, mainly because it is very
>offending for many English speakers to imagine that
>another language, even artificial, could supplant
>English), and anyway I don't speak it for the moment,
>so I don't feel like going further in this way. But I
>think that when one compares concepts in different
>languages, one should not ban Esperanto as if it was
>leper. There are interesting (syntaxic) concepts in
>it, and I found several exciting ideas there. After
>all, these ideas Zamenhof just gathered from various
>natlangs, he invented little, IMO.
>
>So, instead of frowning and instinctively replying
>"Horrible !" when hearing the word "Esperanto", why
>not just consider it as one element among others in a
>discussion about linguistics ? Let's keep cool !
>English is not endangered yet. The proof of it is that
>I'am writing this message in (broken) English.
>
>
>
>
Well, the reason we don't talk much about Esperanto is not because w're
worried about English(we have other Nationalities too, you know), but
because any discussion of an Auxlang(Esperanto, Interlingua, Volapük,
Latino sine Flexione, etc.) is often going to devolve into flamewars.
It's pretty much our only 'community' rule.