Comments on: speakin’ the heathen chinee http://greengabbro.net/2001/10/28/speakin-the-heathen-chinee/ rock out to the apparatus Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:35:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Lokki http://greengabbro.net/2001/10/28/speakin-the-heathen-chinee/#comment-10706 Lokki Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:55:57 +0000 http://greengabbro.net/2001/10/28/speakin-the-heathen-chinee/#comment-10706 I lived in Japan for more than seven years. One of my fascinations was the language situation in my wife's office. She worked in a shipping company which provided cargo space for shipping Japanese exports around the world. The office was filled with 'foreigners' who handled different ports around the world - A South American, a Belgian, a German, and so forth, with a the majority of the office staff being Japanese. At one point there was an Aussie, but he didn't stay for some reason. The lingua franca (if you'll permit) was English, this being the only languge that everyone knew. What evolved over time was a fascinating language based on English, but absorbing words from other languges of necessity. In short, if nobody knew the english word, they'd substitute and that substitution "Became" English. It wasn't esperanto, but it was heading that way. I think that's what we'll find in 100 years. English will have many odd and peculiar dialects, but it'll rule. I don't think Chinese will work as it's too hard for adults to learn to write since it's not phonetic. For what it's worth. I lived in Japan for more than seven years. One of my fascinations was the language situation in my wife’s office.

She worked in a shipping company which provided cargo space for shipping Japanese exports around the world. The office was filled with ‘foreigners’ who handled different ports around the world - A South American, a Belgian, a German, and so forth, with a the majority of the office staff being Japanese. At one point there was an Aussie, but he didn’t stay for some reason.

The lingua franca (if you’ll permit) was English, this being the only languge that everyone knew.

What evolved over time was a fascinating language based on English, but absorbing words from other languges of necessity. In short, if nobody knew the english word, they’d substitute and that substitution “Became” English.

It wasn’t esperanto, but it was heading that way.

I think that’s what we’ll find in 100 years. English will have many odd and peculiar dialects, but it’ll rule.

I don’t think Chinese will work as it’s too hard for adults to learn to write since it’s not phonetic.

For what it’s worth.

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