Volapuk is an artificial and long dead language

In our time, not every simple and even highly educated person is familiar with the term "volapuk." This somewhat ridiculous and strange word came to us from Germany at the end of the XIX century and became known as an artificially created language. It was spoken and written by the world elite, which included physicians, philologists, writers and astronomers.

The author of the language masterpiece

So, Volapuk is an international language that was founded in 1879 by a German Catholic priest named Johann Martin Schleiere. In May of this year in the Bavarian region the most ordinary newspaper came out, but as an appendix to it a whole project followed. It contained grammatical, morphological and many other features of an artificially created language intended for educated people of the whole world. A year later, Schleiher issued a book that received the title "Volapuk - the world's language." Another year has passed, and in this new and still unexplored language the newspaper began to be printed, and later the first international congress was held.

Years of popularity

Approximately in 1884 throughout Europe, and also partly in America and in advanced Asian countries, Volapuk is a very popular and studied language. Numerous magazines and newspapers are printed on it, it is studied in courses, in schools and universities. Many scientists use volopyuk in their doctoral dissertations and work. The case was also registered when the artificially created language became native for the person. It's about the daughter of the German Volapuk researcher Henry Kone, with whom the father spoke from the diaper in a language that became for him the object of passion. Until the 1890s, the whole scientific world was literally engrossed not just in studying volapuk, but also in its constant application in work and everyday life.

The basis of the language

We have already established that Volapuk is an artificial language, but how and on what basis did it arise? Let's start with its author - a priest who was a native of Germany, therefore, he spoke German all his life. His goal was to create a prototype of his native speech and writing, but with some adjustments, which, in his opinion, would simplify the whole picture. The alphabet was based on Latin, supplemented by several non-existent vowels. The lexical composition is the most recognizable word in the languages of the Romano-German family, but their roots have been changed beyond recognition. It is worthwhile to say at once that the native speaker of the German language in Volapuk was removed from all his most tricky features, moreover, they multiplied and became even more noticeable and complex. The most striking example of this is the long words, consisting of three or four parts.

What was the simplicity of the language?

At first glance, it always seemed that volapuk - this is a simple language, it is easy to learn and remember. The fact is that some aspects, indeed, were very inviting:

• There was no complicated orthography.
• There was no such thing as a dual number (it generally occurs only in Russian and Arabic).
• There were no ambiguous words.
• The stress was always fixed.

We can say that the charms of Volapuka ended there. What everyone came across who tried to learn it in the future is like a collection of all the complexities of German, English, Spanish and even Russian languages, supplemented by fictitious forms and turns.

Falling popularity

Over the years, the Volapuk's cryptographer was Auguste Kerkhoffs, who, after scrutinizing this language, immediately identified all his shortcomings. Pointing to the cons of the author - Martin Sheleier, he provoked the protest of the latter. The priest insisted that this language is his brainchild, in which there is nothing to change. This conflict caused a further split, during which many adherents of Volapuk went into other language projects - Idiom Neutral and Esperanto. By the way, the appearance of the last language in 1887 exacerbated the situation of Volapuk. Esperanto was much easier lexically and grammatically, in it all the words were recognizable and even simplified.

Now Volapuk is a dead language, on which even the most secret scientific newspapers and magazines no longer publish. He is not studied at philological faculties, is not taught in postgraduate courses.