The last lingua franca
by Nicholas Ostler · first published 2010
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4HN commenters
2018–2023first – last mentioned
75% recommend25% neutral
This book is an erudite and provocative examination of the rise and coming fall of English as the world's language. A lingua franca, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is a language used as a medium of communication between peoples of different languages. English has become the world's lingua franca -- the most widely spoken in human history. But its dominance has so far lasted no more than two centuries -- far shorter than the currency of many others, such as Greek, Latin, Malay, Swahili, or Persian. And now, as historian and linguist Nicholas Ostler persuasively argues in his pro
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…originated from. Koine Greek was the lingua franca of the Mediterranean. In the Middle East during that time Aramaic (the language that Jesus spoke) was the lingua franca, as was Persian further east. See The Last Lingua Franca by Nicholas Ostler for a history: * https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/dec/04/last-lingua-fr... A language can survive the waning of the culture that it was associated with. For another example,…
on “Epiousios” ↗…language in human history. And yet, as historian and linguist Nicholas Ostler persuasively argues, English will not only be displaced as the world's language in the not-distant future, it will be the last lingua franca, not replaced by another. > Empire, commerce, and religion have been the primary raisons d'etre for lingua francas--Greek, Latin, Arabic have all held the position--and Ostler explores each through the…
on “Call for Germany to scrap English lessons in primary schools” ↗…after the two big wars, and even then, good luck trying to make use of English in some world regions. I recommend reading a bit about the history of lingua francas since the beginning of mankind. "The Last Lingua Franca: English Until the Return of Babel" https://www.amazon.com/Last-Lingua-Franca-English-Return/dp/...
on “Emacs: The Editor for the Next Forty Years [video]” ↗…of the reasons why English is taking over ... There are various reasons why a language may become a lingua franca (LF). If anyone wants to more about the history and process of this, I recommend The Last Lingua Franca: English Until the Return of Babel by Nicholas Ostle: * https://www.amazon.com/Last-Lingua-Franca-English-Return/dp/... * https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8366156-the-last-lingua-... * https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/dec/04/last-lingua-fr...…
on “Blue–Green Distinction in Language” ↗The author makes the argument that automatic translation could prevent the rise of a new lingua franca: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Lingua-Franca-English-Return/dp/...
on “Have we reached peak English in the world?” ↗