Have linguists ever figured out what the 'perfect' language was?

[beer]

I mean, think about it. English has so many special cases and convoluted ideas that it can hardly be called an ideal language. And we've developed all sorts of languages in human history - greek, latin, all the Western euope languages, all the Asian languages, not to mention all the regional dialects of African tribes.

So I'm wondering if anyone has actually decided on which language is 'best.' Like all things that aren't subjective there has to be an ideal set of conditions for a language that scholars and linguists have agreed upon. I'm just curious if such a task has ever been undertaken...

 

[StageLeft]

i thought that a guy had actually created what he thought was the "perfect" language, and something that everybody should learn. Of course they didn't. As it is now people should learn english. it runs the show, so don't buck the trend.

 

[ElFenix]

there were some pushes for a universal language with easy rules back in the early part of last century. none of them worked, of course.

 

[ajpa123]

Good question.. Not sure but i have a question.. is sign language more-or-less universal? or does it differ by language also. I'm sure it differs, but maybe i'm wrong.

 

[IcemanJer]

binary

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
i thought that a guy had actually created what he thought was the "perfect" language, and something that everybody should learn. Of course they didn't. As it is now people should learn english. it runs the show, so don't buck the trend.

Obviously. That's not what I asked though, and the ideal language according to linguists may be a dead one, perhaps Latin or Greek. Obviously I'm not ever going to undertake the task of learning a language I'm not going to find relevant, but there have been thousands of languages with completely different structures and there are probably enough researchers with enough free time to analyze and categorized 'the best.'

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: IcemanJer
binary

Have fun speaking it.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
there were some pushes for a universal language with easy rules back in the early part of last century. none of them worked, of course.

Esperanto

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: JEDI

Originally posted by: ElFenix
there were some pushes for a universal language with easy rules back in the early part of last century. none of them worked, of course.

Esperanto

that was it!



sign language varies not only by language, but also by locality. that is, ASL is different from what they have in england, iirc

 

[PlatinumGold]

there is no such thing as a perfect language.

let's take for example the word "uncle".

in english, there is "uncle", but when you say, Uncle, do you know anything other than it is a male person related by blood and is one generation above??

in Korean, we have a different word for each of the different permutations of the word "uncle", hence when we hear Wae Sam Chun, we know that it is my mothers brother.

which way of doing it is better? "uncle" is obviously easier to learn but it doesn't communicate as much. the Korean way is harder to learn initially but obviously communicates more.

 

[xSauronx]

i just know that when i took high school spanish having half a dozen or more ways to say "the" seriously aggravated me.

 

[Yossarian]

I don't believe that gender for nouns would be in the 'perfect' language. I don't think that having a female table adds anything to communication, it just makes the language harder to learn.

 

[EngenZerO]

CFG?

 

[MAME]

there's no such thing

 

[nick1985]

latin

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Required "Cunning Linguist" comment.

- M4H

 

[GTaudiophile]

Just learn to spell the alphabet with your tongue!

Oh, wait...

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Just learn to spell the alphabet with your tongue!

Oh, wait...

Beat you to the reference.

- M4H

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Just learn to spell the alphabet with your tongue!

Oh, wait...

Beat you to the reference.

- M4H

You know what they say about intelligent minds!

 

[edro]

Originally posted by: beer

Originally posted by: IcemanJer
binary

Have fun speaking it.

It's called Morse Code.

Beep beeeep beep beeep

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Just learn to spell the alphabet with your tongue!

Oh, wait...

Beat you to the reference.

- M4H

You know what they say about intelligent minds!

They love to eat p... Erm, they love Bimmerchick?

- M4H

 

[glen]

Quenya

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: edro13

Originally posted by: beer

Originally posted by: IcemanJer
binary

Have fun speaking it.

It's called Morse Code.

Beep beeeep beep beeep

Actually, I use Binary Sign Language when driving all the time.

You'll often see me communicating "1101001"

Middle finger, middle finger, shaking closed fist, middle finger ...

- M4H

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Just learn to spell the alphabet with your tongue!

Oh, wait...

Beat you to the reference.

- M4H

You know what they say about intelligent minds!

They love to eat p... Erm, they love Bimmerchick?

- M4H

Hey, get your tonque off my woman

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Just learn to spell the alphabet with your tongue!

Oh, wait...

Beat you to the reference.

- M4H

You know what they say about intelligent minds!

They love to eat p... Erm, they love Bimmerchick?

- M4H

Hey, get your tonque off my woman

She said if I stopped, she'd crush my head between her legs.

- M4H