LangMaker.com

Resources
FAQ
ModLang Links
Other Links
Babel Text
Book List
Mail Lists
Word Lists
LangMaker/Win

Personal Languages
BASE
Dublex
Fith
Folkspraak
Ilish
Intermythic
Kordron
Pitakosilano new!
Roxhai
Simpenga
Sen:esepera

Featured Languages
Barsoomian
Dunia
E.W. English
Furbish
Ido
Lapine
Latino Moderne
Magistri Linguio
Poliespo
Ro
Solresol
Tepa new!

"How To" Newsletter
Introduction
Issue 1
Issue 2
Issue 3
Issue 4
Issue 5
Issue 6


Advertisers donate money to United Nations World Food Programme

 

Essential World English

an artificial language for global communication

Here is a micro-introduction to Lancelot Hogben's artificial language (or "controlled language") Essential World English. This is the text of an e-mail message I received in early August, 1995. Unfortunately I have lost the sender's name and e-mail address, so I cannot give him proper credit. - Rick Harrison


You will be delighted in Lancelot Hogben's Essential World English (EWE), and ought to have your own copy.

Hogben's purpose is given in the first chapter:

One cannot speak too highly of Ogden's intention. He stated clearly and courageously, as no one before, a neglected task of language teaching and of language planning. To this end, he offered a recipe seemingly plausible to some of us. If his own solution of the problem he tackled was unsatisfactory for reasons indicated below, Ogden assuredly blazed a trail for others to follow. This book is not necessary because it can offer a solution that is final. It is timely, because it follows a new trail inspired by Ogden's failure. With due recognition of his unique achievement, it is therefore important to say charitably at the outset why Basis was bogus.
As said, a highly educated person may require a vocabulary of at least 30,000 items for extensive reading. That one can say -- technical jargon apart -- everything one needs to say with 850 words in the English of the Authorised Version or of Winston Churchill at his best is therefore at first sight an impressive achievement. On more mature reflection, several considerations prompt second thoughts, in particular:
(a) the Basic vocabulary contains many items which have very different meanings, and by the same token, are translatable by many different words in any other language;
(b) to accomplish the ostensible end in view, Basic usage, though admittedly by no means alien to the eye or ear of anyone with a keen aprreciation of native English, relies extensively on use of idioms invoking particles which have no semantic sanction in their own right;
(c) the learner who starts with no native knowledge of English idiom is therefore at sea, and liable to form not easily broken habits of unacceptable usage.
The new start which this book advocates is that neither of the first-named preceding devices to reduce the mnemonic load of learning achieves the end in view. This follows if the reader is willing to concede two assertions:
(a) it is by no means manifestly easier to learn several unrelated different meanings of the same word than to learn the same number of different words, each with a clear-cut semantic reference;
(b) replacement of otherwise essential words not deemed to be so by wholly arbitrary combinations (e.g. put up with for tolerate or forbear) accomplishes no reduction of mnemonic load for the beginner.
In place of Ogden's 850-word list, we here offer a 1300-item list of what we call Essential Semantic Units, meaning thereby a semantically unique word and a instruction where necessary with respect to its usage, in particular:
(a) what arbitrary particles may accompany it (cf. laugh AT P, contrast X WITH Y, the same A ... AS B);
(b) if a so-called transitive verb, whether to do is interchangeable with doing or for for doing as its object (cf. different usage with cease and finish). (Though one can say acceptably cease to work or cease working, one cannot acceptably say finish to work.
With the exception of less than half a dozen elements of the grammatical matrix (with, to, that, have, be), each listed semantic unit has an unequivocal reference.

The List of Essential Semantic Units (LESU) is given in 26 lessons of 50 words each, followed by two lessons of supplementary words. There are glossaries of EWE equivalents for Standard English terms not included in the LESU.

More words can be made from these by the following rules: UN-V (e.g. UNABLE), IN- (e.g. INACTIVE), UN-V-ED (e.g. UNACCUSTOMED), -ER (e.g. ATTACKER), UN-V-ABLE (e.g. UNANSWERABLE), IN-V-ABLE (e.g. INCOMPARABLE), -LESS (e.g. AIMLESS), (UN-)V-ING (e.g. ACCORDING).

EWE ought to be compared with Basic English, the Voice of America special word list, and Universal Language Dictionary elements.

Here is my synopsis of LESU. You need the book to understand completely.

1. Verbal Auxiliaries


be 

can-could 

do 

have 

ought 

will 

would















2. Pronouns and Numerals


one 

I 

you 

he 

she 

it 

we 

they 

self 

two 

three 

four 

five 

six 

seven 

eight

nine 

ten 

eleven 

twelve 

13-14-15-16-17-18-19 

20-30-40-50-60-70-80-90

hundred 

thousand 

million 

each-every 

other 

same 

this-these 

that-those

that-whose 

whole 

who(m)-whose?















3. Particles


a(n) 

about 

above 

abroad 

across 

after 

again 

against 

also 

among 

and

around 

as 

as...as 

at 

away_(from) 

back 

backward 

because_(of) 

before

behind 

between 

beyond 

but 

by 

despite 

down 

during 

either...or 

even

except 

for 

forward 

from 

here 

home 

how 

if 

in 

in_favour_of 

instead_of

into 

kindly 

-less 

neither...nor 

never 

no 

not 

now 

of 

on 

on_behalf_of 

or

out(side) 

part_of 

since 

so_that 

somewhat 

soon 

sort 

than 

the 

then 

there

therefore 

though 

through 

thus 

till 

to 

today 

together 

tomorrow 

too

towards 

under 

up 

very 

what? 

what 

when 

where 

whether 

while 

why 

with

without 

yes 

yesterday















4. Labels of Orientation and Units of Time


second 

minute 

hour 

day 

week 

month 

year 

bottom 

edge 

end 

front 

middle

rear 

side 

top 

east 

north 

south 

west 

left 

right















5. Epithets


able 

abundant 

active 

adhesive 

adult 

aesthetic 

angry 

assertive 

attentive

audible 

awake 

aware 

bad 

big 

bitter 

black 

blue 

brown 

certain 

chemical

chief 

cold 

comfortable 

compatible 

complex 

compulsory 

consistent

conspicuous 

contemporary 

contemptuous 

contrary 

controversial 

cruel

cultured 

dark 

deceitful 

deep 

dependent 

difficult 

divisible 

durable

eager 

early 

earnest 

easy 

educational 

electrical 

emphatic 

envious 

equal

equitable 

ethical 

exact 

expensive 

expert 

explosive 

extant 

factual

familiar 

far 

feeble 

female 

few 

final 

flat 

foreign 

fortunate 

frequent

friendly 

future 

generous 

good 

grateful 

green 

grey 

guilty 

happy 

hard

harmful 

harmless 

healthy 

heavy 

helpful 

high 

historical 

hopeful

horizontal 

hot 

humorous 

ignorant 

imaginary 

important 

intelligent

intense 

intentional 

intermittent 

late 

legal 

less-least 

like 

likely

little 

long 

loose 

loud 

low 

magnetic 

male 

manifest 

many 

mechanical

medical 

mental 

mild 

more-most 

much 

near 

necessary 

neutral 

new 

obedient

obstinate 

old 

ornate 

painful 

parallel 

partial 

past 

patient 

permanent

polite 

political 

poor 

possible 

powerful 

practical 

primitive 

private

prone 

provisional 

public 

punctual 

pure 

putrid 

quarrelsome 

quick 

rare

ready 

reasonable 

recent 

red 

regular 

relevant 

reliable 

religious

resolute 

resonant 

responsible 

rich 

ritual 

rough 

safe 

secret 

selfish

shallow 

sharp 

short 

sick 

small 

social 

soft 

solitary 

stable 

steep 

stiff

straight 

sucessful 

sudden 

sufficient 

surgical 

sweet 

synchronous 

tall

territorial 

theatrical 

theoretical 

thick 

thin 

thorough 

tight 

tranquil

transparent 

true 

typical 

unique 

universal 

useful 

usual 

vertical 

violent

visible 

wasteful 

white 

wide 

widespread 

willing 

worthy 

yellow 

young















6. Adjective-Verbs


alert 

blind 

blunt 

clean 

correct 

dilute 

dry 

empty 

fit 

free 

hollow 

lame

mature 

moderate 

narrow 

open 

own 

pale 

perfect 

round 

separate 

slow 

smooth

tame 

tidy 

warm 

weary 

wet















7. Substantive-Verbs

7a. Instrument Class


bath 

brush 

comb 

drill 

filter 

hammer 

hook 

lever 

lock 

mirror 

net 

pencil

pin 

plane 

plough 

post 

pump 

screw 

seat 

shovel 

trap 

wedge 

whip 

whistle















7b. Applicative Class


butter 

cement 

color 

cover 

crown 

dress 

frame 

label 

oil 

ornament 

plant

powder 

tile















7c. Personal Agent Class


ally 

cook

exile 

judge 

nurse 

pilot 

rebel 

rival 

slave 

witness















7d.i. Weak


accord 

act 

aim 

answer 

attack 

attempt 

benefit 

bet 

blame 

blemish 

blend

boast 

branch 

bribe 

capture 

cause 

change 

charge 

chart 

command 

compromise

concern 

consent 

contrast 

control 

copy 

cough 

counsel 

cure 

damage 

dance

decrease 

delay 

delight 

demand 

desire 

discharge 

disgust 

dislike 

display

dispute 

doubt 

esteem 

exchange 

experience 

face 

fear 

finish 

flash 

flavour

flood 

flow 

flower 

fold 

force 

forecast 

grasp 

groove 

group 

guess 

gulp

hate 

heat 

help 

hint 

hire 

hoard 

hope 

hunt 

hurry 

increase 

jail 

jerk 

joke

journey 

jump 

knot 

lack 

laugh 

lie 

lift 

light 

limit 

line 

list 

love

manufacture 

mark 

measure 

move 

name 

need 

number 

offer 

pardon 

permit

picture 

pity 

place 

plan 

play 

poison 

praise 

preserve 

price 

print 

promise

protest 

pull 

purchase 

push 

puzzle 

question 

rain 

reason 

receipt 

record

regret 

repair 

reprimand 

request 

rest 

reverse 

reward 

rub 

rule 

safeguard

score 

scorn 

scratch 

shape 

share 

shave 

sign 

slope 

smile 

smoke 

sneeze

snow 

sound 

start 

stitch 

store 

substitute 

suck 

talk 

tax 

test 

thank

thunder 

torture 

touch 

trade 

transport 

trick 

trouble 

trust 

turn 

twist

use 

value 

visit 

vote 

wait 

walk 

waste 

work 

worship 

wound















7d.ii Minor Irregularities


bend 

burn 

dream 

sleep















7d.iii Contracted Forms


burst 

cut 

hit 

split















7d.iv Strong


bite 

break 

breed 

fight 

mistake 

run















8. Simple Verbs

8a. Weak


absorb 

accustom 

acknowledge 

amaze 

annul 

arrange 

ascribe 

assert 

attend

avoid 

balance 

believe 

boil 

breathe 

cease 

celebrate 

collect 

compare

complain 

compute 

conceal 

concentrate 

conquer 

consist_of 

contain

continue 

convince 

cooperate 

correspond 

corrode 

crush 

cry_out 

dare

deceive 

decide 

deem 

deny 

deprive 

describe 

desert 

destroy 

detect

dismember 

dispose_of 

dissolve 

drop 

employ 

enable 

equip 

examine 

explain

express 

extend 

fail 

fasten 

fill 

follow 

frighten 

fulfil 

glide 

greet

happen 

heed 

imagine 

impose 

include 

infer 

intoxicate 

invest 

kill 

learn

listen 

live 

locate 

marry 

misconceive 

narrate 

observe 

obstruct 

oppose

organize 

overturn 

participate 

perform 

pierce 

please 

pluck 

ponder 

pour

practise 

prefer 

prevent 

procure 

prohibit 

project 

propose 

prove 

publish

punish 

react 

receive 

refrain 

refuse 

relinquish 

remain 

remember 

remove

retain 

revile 

revive 

satisfy 

seem 

select 

stimulate 

sue 

suffer 

suspend

sway 

tempt 

threaten 

translate 

transmit 

unite 

utter 

warn 

weigh















8b. Minor Irregularities


deal 

die 

dwell 

feel 

flee 

hear 

keep 

lose 

make 

mean 

pay 

say 

weep















8c. Contracted


cast 

put 

read 

shut















8d. Strong


arise 

become 

come 

drive 

fly 

forget 

give 

go 

grow 

know 

meet 

partake_of

see 

seek 

sell 

send 

shake 

shine 

sing 

sit 

stand 

steal 

swell 

swim 

teach

understand 

undo 

write















9. Names


aeroplane 

air 

ale 

angle 

animal 

ankle 

apartment 

arch 

arm 

ass 

assembly

bag 

ball 

band 

bank 

barrier 

bay 

bead 

bee 

bell 

bill 

bird 

blood 

boat 

body

bone 

book 

boundary 

bowl 

box 

brain 

brake 

bread 

brick 

bridge 

brother

building 

button 

camel 

cape 

cat 

cavity 

chain 

chairman 

cheese 

chest 

child

circle 

citizen 

clay 

clock 

cloud 

coal 

coat 

colleague 

college 

committee

compound 

concrete 

continent 

copper 

cord 

corn 

corner 

corridor 

cotton

couch 

cow 

cube 

cup 

cupboard 

cylinder 

daughter 

device 

diamond 

digit 

dirt

dish 

dog 

door 

drawer 

drink 

drug 

dust 

ear 

earth 

editor 

egg 

elbow

elephant 

enemy 

eye 

eyebrow 

eyelash 

fabric 

factory 

family 

farm 

fat

father 

feather 

fibre 

filament 

finger 

fire 

fish 

fist 

flag 

flame 

flax

flesh 

floor 

flour 

fog 

food 

foot 

forehead 

forest 

fork 

fort 

friend 

fruit

furniture 

gap 

garden 

gas 

glass 

goat 

gold 

grass 

gun 

gut 

hair 

hand 

handle

head 

heart 

heel 

hemp 

hinge 

hole 

horn 

horse 

hospital 

house 

ice 

ink 

iron

island 

jelly 

joint 

journal 

juice 

key 

knee 

knife 

lake 

lamp 

land 

lead

leaf 

leather 

leg 

letter 

library 

lid 

limb 

lip 

liquid 

lung 

machine 

maize

man 

manager 

market 

mat 

match 

mattress 

member 

metal 

milk 

mine 

missile

moisture 

money 

moon 

mother 

mountain 

mouth 

nail 

neck 

needle 

news 

night

nose 

oar 

ocean 

officer 

offspring 

ox 

package 

page 

paper 

parent 

particle

pearl 

pen 

person 

pest 

piece 

pig 

pipe 

platform 

pocket 

point 

police 

port

porter 

priest 

rail 

rectangle 

representative 

rice 

river 

road 

rod 

roof

room 

root 

rubber 

salt 

sand 

satellite 

scale 

school 

sea 

seed 

shadow 

sheep

sheet 

shelf 

shell 

shoulder 

sib 

silk 

silver 

sister 

skin 

sky 

slime 

snake

soap 

soil 

solid 

solution 

son 

soup 

speaker 

spine 

spiral 

sponge 

spoon

spouse 

square 

stairs 

stalk 

stamp 

star 

station 

steam 

steel 

step 

stick

stone 

stove 

sugar 

sun 

table 

tail 

tap 

tear 

tent 

thief 

throat 

thumb

ticket 

tin 

tobacco 

toe 

tongue 

tool 

tooth 

town 

track 

train 

tray 

tree

tribunal 

trunk 

vapour 

vehicle 

wall 

warehouse 

water 

wave 

weapon 

-wear

wheat 

wheel 

wind 

window 

wine 

wing 

wire 

woman 

wood 

wool 

worm 

wrist 

zinc















10. Concepts


ability 

absence 

achievement 

addition 

agreement 

approval 

arbitration

army 

arrangement 

art 

authority 

behaviour 

birth 

breath 

capital

characteristic 

circumstance 

collison 

colony 

communication 

competition

composition 

condition 

confirmation 

consciousness 

constituent 

creed

criticism 

current 

customs 

danger 

death 

decision 

defence 

degree

description 

detail 

development 

difference 

direction 

disadvantage

disarmament 

disease 

displeasure 

distance 

distribution 

dividend 

duty

effect 

element 

empire 

energy 

engineering 

entertainment 

equality 

excess

expanse 

extent 

fact 

fatigue 

fervour 

fidelity 

figure 

fraud 

freedom

friendliness 

game 

glee 

goods 

government 

grant 

growth 

health 

heap 

idea

identity 

importance 

inquiry 

insurance 

interior 

justice 

knowledge

language 

law 

length 

lesson 

life 

likeness 

liquidation 

loan 

loss 

majority

marriage 

mass 

material 

membership 

message 

minority 

mishap 

monopoly

motion 

music 

nationalism 

nationality 

navy 

negotiations 

noise 

oath

observation 

obstacle 

odor 

offence 

opinion 

opportunity 

organisation

peace 

penalty 

permission 

personnel 

pleasure 

potential 

power

prerequisite 

presence 

pressure 

privilege 

problem 

procedure 

process

product 

programme 

progress 

prohibition 

property 

prose 

purpose 

quantity

rate 

reaction 

recipe 

relation 

reservation 

resistance 

resources 

revolt

rhythm 

science 

search 

security 

seizure 

selection 

separation 

sequence

service 

sex 

shock 

song 

source 

space 

specimen 

stage 

state 

statement

status 

stipulation 

structure 

surface 

synopsis 

system 

task 

temperature

testimony 

thing 

time 

topic 

trial 

truth 

tune 

type 

union 

unit 

verse

vibration 

victim 

view 

voice 

volume 

war 

way 

weather 

willingness 

word















11. Supplementary List


abstract 

accuracy 

accuse 

adhere 

administrator 

advancement 

appearance

ascent 

associate 

average 

background 

basis 

bat 

blow 

bunch 

card 

ceremony

chimney 

complete 

concede 

conventional 

crawl 

crew 

curve 

deck

defend 

different 

difficulty 

disappointment 

discount 

discover 

engine

enthusiastic 

entrance 

environment 

escape 

exclusive 

exercise 

extinguish

fall 

fashion 

fiction 

field 

firm 

friction 

full 

gift 

God 

ground 

guilt

habit 

hereditary 

honesty 

honorific 

hostile 

income 

inference 

innocence

instrument 

invention 

lewd 

likelihood 

link 

miracle 

missive 

mix 

narrative

opposition 

partner 

party 

payment 

pretend 

proposal 

publication 

reality

remind 

resignation 

roll 

rumour 

sensual 

similar 

size 

spear 

speed 

spool

stumble 

subordinate 

superstition 

sword 

tar 

target 

title 

tolerant 

total

treatment 

vacation 

verdict 

viscous 

wax




Back to Language Arts Outpost home page

Back to Model Languages' home page

How to subscribe to Model Languages

 

 

Jeffrey.Henning.com

Free Web Surveys
expresspoll.com

 

HQ Next page

This Scattered Tongues site belongs to Jeffrey Henning.
Next Page | Skip It | Next 5 | Prev | Random
Want to join? Stop by
HQ, then!